International Commerce Association Agreement between Europe and Central America Exports & imports Ministry of Economy of Guatemala Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) origin seal trade Exports to Europe Free Trade Agreement Free trade María Luisa Flores Sergio de la Torre exports geographical indication (GI) trade agreement

Guatemala Could Enter AA with EU in November

The country has fulfilled the last requirement which was pending, the registration of geographical indications, meaning that the Association Agreement could come into force in November.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The Ministry of Economy will notify on September 30 that it has complied with the ratification of the Association Agreement with the European Union and with the 60-day period required for amendments to the Law on Industrial Property related to geographical indications.

"I don't believe that there will any problems. We have fulfilled the commitment to the registration of geographical indications, the opposition period ends on September 27 and so far there has been no opposition, however, because of the timing it will probably come into force on 1 November," said the Economy Minister Sergio de la Torre.

"We are making an effort with our embassy in Brussels to to see if the European Council might give a waiver by saying: Well, if there is no opposition in Guatemala and all is well, it could enter into force on 1 October if not it will be until November 1st, " said Maria Luisa Flores, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade.

Source: sigloxxi.com

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Key entities

Ministry of Economy of Guatemala Sergio de la Torre María Luisa Flores Luis Godoy Guatemalan Exporters Association

Countries

Guatemala European Union Central America

Insight

trade Association Agreement between Europe and Central America trade agreement AACUE implications Exports to Europe export sector geographical indication (GI) Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) origin seal International Commerce Exports & imports

Guatemala and Harnessing the Europe Agreement

January 2014

The elimination of tariffs on agricultural products and flexible rules of origin for products such as tuna, textiles and plastics are part of the changes incorporated in the Agreement.

The Minister of Economy, Sergio de la Torre said that in the next few years Guatemala's exports to Europe could be doubled, as has happened with the other trade agreements that the Central American nation has signed.

Guatemala Manages Entry into Force of EU Agreement

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The country will ask the European Union to discuss the geographical designations in parallel so that the agreement can enter into force in December.

This was explained by Estuardo Castillo, president of the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport), who added that "this is what Costa Rica did and there was a good result."

Guatemala: New Delay for EU Agreement

October 2013

The delay is due the eight still unresolved oppositions filed by Italy, France and Spain in September related to Geographical Indications.

Sergio de la Torre, Guatemalan Economy Minister had announced that the agreement would take effect in November, however, everything seems to have be delayed by another month.

El Salvador Paves the Way Into AA

September 2013

The country has resolved the differences it had with Italy, allowing the Association Agreement with the European Union to enter into force as soon as possible.

From a press release by the Ministry of Economy of El Salvador:

Today, September 23 the Finance Minister, Armando Flores and Deputy Minister of Economy, Mario Roger Hernandez, met with the Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Italy, Carlo Calenda in order to discuss the Italian opposition to the entry into force of the Association Agreement with the European Union (ADA) for El Salvador, after Italy, in July this year, did not vote for the Agreement to enter into force on 1 August 2013 for El Salvador and Costa Rica and did vote to give it to Nicaragua, Honduras and Panama.