The website for the "Business Intelligence System of the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union" summarizes the regulatory framework, procedures, market information and other topics of interest to exporting SMEs.
The Ministry of Economy of El Salvador has put online a "Business Intelligence System of the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union", a website which aims to present the content and the benefits of the Association Agreement in a format which is simple and accessible, so that Central American exporters and importers can receive this information and maximize opportunities.
In the second round of negotiations an agreement was signed on tourism and advances made in relation to investment protection.
In the second round of negotiations for a Partial Agreement (PA) between El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago, which was held in Puerto España, both delegations reached an agreement on tourism and advances were made in relation to investments.
Up until October maquila exports totaled $954 million, which represents 20.4% of total exports during that period.
According to the International Trade Report presented by the Ministry of Economy (Minec), Salvadoran exports are driven primarily by the maquila sector, specifically high value added garments as well as non-traditional products.
Carlos Moreno, director of trade policy at the Minec said that exports in the first ten months of this year rose by 3.6% totaling $4.6659 billion.
On 25 and 26 November a seminar will be held to train Salvadoran SMEs in the legal regulations and requirements needed to export to the European market .
From a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador:
The Government of El Salvador with the European Union will hold on the 25th and 26th of November, the "CA- EU Partnership Agreement: opportunities to export" a seminar-workshop, in order to support small and medium enterprises in the Salvadoran process of internationalization and diversification of markets and products to Europe, as part of the trade pillar agreement which came into force on 1 October .
The two countries will negotiate a Partial Agreement of Economic Complementation.
A statement from the Ministry of Economy of El Salvador reads:
El Salvador and Ecuador signed on March 9th a General Framework for Negotiations of a Partial Agreement of Economic Complementation (AAP), in order to promote further development of bilateral trade relations and contribute to the complementarity of their economies, allowing progress towards a higher stage in the process of integration between the two countries.
The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP +) will extend for a further two years from 2012, until the Association Agreement with the EU becomes active.
The director of trade policy at the El Salvadoran Ministry of Economy, Carlos Moreno, said that once the country’s Assembly has ratified the Association Agreement with the EU, the GSP + will lose its scope.
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.
Both countries have finalized a feasibility study as part of the analysis of a possible free trade agreement (FTA).
The announcement came from Salvadoran Economy Minister, Héctor Dada Hirezi, who added that by June they hope to have finished analyzing the study results.
"South Korea will officially notify its interest in continuing by providing an agenda for future negotiations," commented the minister to ACAN-EFE.
From March 8 through March 10, Salvadoran negotiators are meeting with their Cuban peers in Havana.
The meetings are in response to interest shown by Salvadoran exporters, who already export to Cuba, to create a permanent framework that will facilitate and increase trade with Cuba.
According to Director of Trade Policy, Carlos Brown, a partial agreement is expected within three rounds of negotiations, which is what is scheduled now.
Central America is beginning the process of reviewing the final text of the agreement signed with the European Union last May.
The Trade Policy director of El Salvador's Economy Ministry, Carlos Moreno, commented that, "working groups will meet to discuss access, rules of origin and legal details in order to be able to start the process of reaching a final document for the Association Agreement with the EU," reports Prensalibre.com.
Central American countries seek to harmonize three different FTAs that have been signed with Mexico.
The basis for the new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will be that signed most recently between the Aztec nation and the group of countries known as the North Triangle (Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador). Adjustments will be made reflecting current conditions and requirements of all countries in the isthmus.
The 4 countries which compose the so-called “CA-4” (El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras) have resumed FTA negotiations with Canada.
The first negotiation round is taking place from today until next Friday, in Canada. This Free Trade Agreement was proposed back in 2001.
Carlos Moreno, Trade Policies director at the Salvadoran Economy Ministry, explained that both negotiation parties will discuss various topics, including market access, rules of origin, institutional agreements, investment services and commercial defense. According to ElSalvador.com, these negotiations are 85% complete.