Industry and Agriculture Against the FTA with South Korea

Sectors related to metal mechanics, tires, plastics, chemicals and electrics in Costa Rica have asked for their products to be excluded in the negotiation of a regional trade agreement with the Asian tiger.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

The industrial and agricultural sectors are those who have objected in the process for negotiation of a free trade agreement with South Korea, arguing that some products would be hurt by the arrival of similar products from China. Such is the case of "... the sectors of metal mechanics, tires, plastics, chemicals and electrical goods. This was announced by executive director of the Chamber of Industries of Costa Rica, Francisco Gamboa, according to whom there is no sector in these categories interested in exporting to Korea."

See "Fourth Round of Central America - South Korea FTA"

In the agricultural sector, "... swine producers have called for full opening without taxes for meat from Costa Rica in Korea. However, the Koreans requested exclusion of this item from the discussions, " Renato Alvarado, president of the National Chamber of Pork Producers and vice president of the National Chamber of Agriculture and Agribusiness (CNAA) told Nacion.com.

The fifth round of negotiations is scheduled to take place in the Korean capital at the beginning of August and then in November the last phase will be carried out.

¿Busca soluciones de inteligencia comercial para su empresa?



More on this topic

Guatemala Negotiates Exporting Pork to Central America

October 2016

The pork producing sector has started negotiations with the governments of Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, to revive pork exports in the short term.

The union of pig farmers has already contacted neighboring countries to express their interest in resuming pork exports, after the country declared itself free of swine fever in August.

Costa Rica and the FTA with South Korea

July 2015

A free trade agreement between Central America and the Asian tiger has aroused interest in agriculture and suspicion in the food industry.

As South Korea is a net importer of fresh food, the agriculture sector hopes to seize opportunities arising from a possible trade agreement with China, the first round of negotiations of which is scheduled to take place before the end of the year.

Central American Pork Producers at Risk

April 2015

Pork producers in Costa Rica are starting to look for new markets for their products, which will compete from 2020 with meat imported from the USA and Canada which is duty free.

Currently in Costa Rica 5000 metric tons of pork per year are imported and only 500 tons are exported, mainly to Central America.

Pig Producers Versus Slaughterhouses

September 2014

Pork producers in Costa Rica are complaining that they are trying to directly export pork to Asian markets, but slaughterhouses "only want the business for themselves."

Porcicultor industry entrepreneurs are trying to open new markets, especially in countries with which Costa Rica has signed trade agreements, but are complaining that slaughterhouses have rejected their applications for processing meat, sometimes citing lack of certifications and in other cases, because " ... 'What slaughterhouses want is customers and to keep paying low prices to producers"," said the Speaker of the Chamber of Pork Producers, Renato Alvarado to Elfinancierocr.com ."

ok