For the first quarter of the year, public and private sectors expect to finalize negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with Peru.
The most difficult part of negotiations has been related to industry, specifically the textile sector, which has shown the most resistance to the signing of the treaty.
Giovanni Berti, export director of the Agency for Promotion of Exports and Investments of El Salvador (PROESA) told Laprensagrafica.com that, "negotiations between the two countries are already advanced to about 95%.
Before the end of the year, the country will resume negotiations over a FTA with the Andean nation.
The announcement was made by Minister of Economy in El Salvador, Hector Dada, after a publication in a Peruvian newspaper expressed interest resuming negotiations with El Salvador .
"Dada said the most difficult part of negotiation lies in industry, specifically the textile sector, which has become the most complicated issue to seal the deal for the new TLC", reported Elmundo.com.sv.
More than 5000 Guatemalan products will enter the Andean country duty free.
The fifth round of negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement between the representatives of both governments concluded with the definition of a list of products to be exported duty free to Peru. Sugar cane and coffee are excluded.
Products that will have preferential access are: textiles, clothing, refrigerators, candy, chocolates, paints, soaps, medicines, cosmetics, fruit, vegetables, jellies and rubber.
With the exclusion of some 20 products deemed sensitive, the negotiation of the free trade agreement (FTA) with Peru has concluded.
During the fourth round of negotiations and after long sessions of work the negotiating teams of both countries agreed on all subjects of the FTA and now have a tool that will facilitate trade between the two countries.
In the Peruvian capital, the negotiating teams of both countries have concluded negotiations for a free trade agreement.
"This is a treaty of great renown for small and medium enterprises because it opens up a market of 30 million people with increasing purchasing power, Peru will grow by 7.5% this year – it is a nearby country with good transportation routes and which shares the same language and customs, " said the Minister of Foreign Trade, Anabel González.
The industry considers that the signing of a free trade agreement (TLC in Spanish) with Peru would not generate good business opportunities.
In negotiations this week sensitive issues, which for Guatemala means agricultural products, will be discussed .
"The executive director of the Chamber of Agriculture (Camagro), Carla Caballeros, specified that there is no interest from the agricultural sector in participating in the negotiations, because it is not an attractive market, and that suggesting that it is seems to go against the country's interest", explains a Siglo XXI.com article.
Monday May 2 in Lima will see the beginning of the fourth and final round of negotiations on the free trade agreement (FTA) with Peru
In this round, Costa Rica will define its position on outstanding issues in the field of access of goods to the market and specific rules of origin.
"Peru represents for our country a market of close to 30 million people, almost six times that of Costa Rica and the negotiation of a free trade agreement aims to consolidate, expand and improve access of Costa Rican exports, creating a legal framework with clear rules, which is both stable and transparent, promoting competition by improving productivity and competitiveness of goods and services, establishing effective and transparent procedures for settling trade disputes, as well as creating an environment conducive to domestic and foreign investment " said the Minister of Foreign Trade for Costa Rica, Anabel Gonzalez, who will head the delegation of this country.
Although the trade agreement is still causing concerns in various sectors, the Costa Rican government believes that it will help improve commercial ties with Asia.
Next month the latest round of negotiations will come to and end in the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) between Costa Rica and Peru.
There is still some resistance in some sectors of the Costa Rican economy.
Sector representatives have presented a proposal to be considered within the scope of the trade agreement.
After hearing that Peru was seeking to exclude products receiving preferential tax rates from the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, El Salvador's textile sector, together with the government, decided to present a different offer to be considered for inclusion within the agreement.
Costa Rica's food industry chamber (Cacia in Spanish) feels that the Peruvian market does not offer favorable conditions for these products.
Cacia executive director, Mario Montero, commented that they will also be asking the Trade Ministry to exclude certain kinds of juice and alcoholic beverage.
"Federico Valerio, the Ministry's executive director stated that meetings will be held with the private sector this month to avoid negotiations becoming stalled by the opening of trade in a given product so that they can finish in May as planned," writes Leticia Vindas for El Finaciero's web portal.
Looking to take advantage of the FTA being negotiated, Peruvian companies, mainly in the logistics sector, are hurrying up the process of setting up offices in the region.
Carlos Durand, president of the Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL), said "Some Peruvian companies are beginning to see the Central American bloc, with which we are negotiating the trade agreement, as a next step for operational growth and positioning in foreign markets," reported Americaeconomia.com.
Industrial products will require a period of at least 10 years to lose tariffs, and agricultural goods even more or some form of special treatment.
Eduardo Ferreyros, Peruvian Trade Minister, commented that they “don’t favor exclusions” but acknowledged that a key issue in the FTA negotiation will be dealing with the sensitivities of many productive sectors.
At the end of the round chapters were closed on Sanitary and Health Certifications, Investment, Services and Customs Procedures.
Subjects discussed were policy issues related to market access for goods, rules of origin, customs procedures, customs cooperation, sanitary and health certifications, investment, services, temporary visas for businessmen, intellectual property and government purchases.