Companies on the Isthmus demand that their interests be attended to by the EU

Central American businessmen say that "there are still strategic interests in the region that have not been dealt with by European negotiators."

Friday, August 22, 2008

On day four of the XIV Central America planning session for the Association Agreement with Europe, Julio Aguilar, negotiator for the International Commercial Negotiations Business Center (Cencit), said that while Central America continues to broaden its offer to their European counterparts, not at more that 80% of the products on the tariff list, Europe has still not guaranteed the whether all the benefits derived from the General Preference System Plus (SGP Plus) will be maintained.

¿Busca soluciones de inteligencia comercial para su empresa?



More on this topic

Benefits Extended for Exporting to Europe

July 2011

El Salvador will sell goods to Europe, over the next 2 years, under the terms of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and the Association Agreement.

For two years Salvadoran businessmen to sell their products in Europe may do so not only with the GSP benefits, but also the benefits of the Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union.

Guatemala Could Push Back EU Agreement

April 2010

If the European Union does not make more flexible its postures, Guatemala would request Central America to push back the signature of the agreement.

Economy Minister Rubén Morales stated that if the country does not receive more benefits than the current Generalized Preference System (SGP-plus), Guatemala could recommend against signing the agreement.

Trade Benefits Lost with EU Agreement

February 2010

The European Union is not willing to include already existing benefits in the Association Agreement with Central America.

Cencit, a Guatemalan commission which studies international treaties, remarked that losing the existing trade benefits would be counterproductive for the region. These include European market access for products manufactured in Central American free zones and maquilas.

Europe consolidates its preferential taxes for Central America

July 2008

At Tuesday's opening of the fourth round of Central America-Europe trade talks in Brussels, Europe granted preferential treatment to a list of Central American products and consolidated 99 percent of its offer.

Johanna Hill, spokesperson for the Central Americans and chief negotiator for El Salvador, said Costa Rica, the country that sells the most to Europe, insists that current access is not reflected in the offer.

ok