With this agreement, it is expected that the border between the two nations will be fully liberated for both freight and passengers in December. Immigration procedures will be carried out online or in an office to be located near the border area.

Luis Castillo, Presidential Commissioner for Customs Union, told Prensalibre.com that "... The changes to completely free up passage between the two countries are based on requirements of the Association Agreement with Europe which took effect in November 2013. The changes will be staggered and for June 1 this year plans are to merge the two offices. "

Meanwhile, Maria Luisa Flores, Vice Minister of Foreign Trade, added "... It is estimated that every day about 90 containers go from Guatemala to Honduras, therefore unification would mean a reduction in logistics costs for products. "

Source: prensalibre.com

More on this topic

Customs Offices Should be Open 24/7 for Cargo

June 2014

In order to expedite intraregional trade it is necessary for customs offices dealing with cargo freight, to be open all hours, just as immigration customs offices are.

A study commissioned by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Central America (Fecamco) concluded that there are 87 barriers to trade in the region, one of the major ones being operations of the systems at customs offices at borders, followed by bureaucratic requirements and lack of adequate infrastructure.

Regional Consensus Against Scanning Fee in El Salvador

April 2014

Regional agreements establish reciprocal and non-discriminatory treatment for international land freight transport services between Central American countries.

An article in Elperiodico.com.gt reports that "...The deputy ministers of Foreign Trade of Central America agreed yesterday that Guatemala would send a complete analysis, which demonstrates that the charge of $18 being made in El Salvador for carrying out non intrusive revisions contravenes trade regulations and affects the region. "

Guatemala and Honduras: Customs Offices Which Avoid El Salvador

January 2014

The authorities at customs offices in Guatemala and Honduras have opened new routes for regional transit of goods between the two countries.

The aim of the opening of new routes at the borders between the two countries, in El Florido and Agua Caliente, is to streamline regional trade which has been blocked because of the protests over the application of a fee of $18 in Salvadoran customs offices for X-ray inspection of trucks.

How to Strengthen the Regional Integration Process

March 2011

Transporting a truckload from Guatemala to Costa Rica takes four days, when the journey could be completed in 30 hours.

The Business Committee for Customs Union launched a campaign to accelerate and complete the integration, attacking in particular mental and cultural barriers which persist in economic actors and in the general population.