The Latin America-China Business Summit was held on November 26th and 27th in Costa Rica with more than 1,200 employers in regions with growing commercial exchanges.
Chinese and Latin American entrepreneurs gathered for two days for business meetings, contributing to increased trade in Latin America with the Asian country, which is already a commercial destination of prime importance for this region.
Cheese Producers in Costa Rica and El Salvador opposed the registration of the Italian brands Provolone Valpadana , Fontina, Gorgonzola and Parmigiano Reggiano.
The Association Agreement with the European Union (AA) will not come into force on August 1 for Costa Rica and El Salvador, but on October 1, as long there is a resolution to the conflict caused by Costa Rican and Salvadoran dairy producers who expressed their opposition to the registration of geographical origin of Italian cheeses.
Ten companies producing chickens, eggs and dairy products have received authorizations valid for three years to export to Honduras.
From a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica:
After a series of efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and the National Animal Health Service, Honduran authorities have authorized for three years a dozen Costa Rican plants producing fertile eggs, one day old chicks, frozen chicken and dairy products for export to the market.
The Costa Rican Congress has finally approved the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union, which will take effect on August 1.
From a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica (COMEX):
The Legislature has approved on its second reading the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union (CAAA), which seeks to boost trade relations between Central America and the old continent, by improving the business climate, creating new opportunities for trade, investment and employment and strengthening institutions in the region.
Starting from July 1 the trade agreement with Mexico, a country with which trade reaches $10 billion per year, came into effect.
The agreement "strengthens the recognition of an extended economic zone where Central America can put more products under a single origin and continue complementing each other in the production of goods and services for export to Mexico," said Anabel Gonzalez, Costa Rican Foreign Trade Minister.
Access for sugar and the rules of origin for textile goods are delaying the negotiations for unification of the FTAs between Mexico and the region.
Before the 17th of October, the planned date for signing the agreement, negotiations in these areas must be concluded.
The Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Commerce (Comex), Anabel Gonzalez said ... that the general framework of rules or the convergence of three FTA’s between the isthmus and Mexico is finalised, except for ... very specific issues regarding the three products.
This first unification of regulations will benefit the export sector of food and medicine industry.
The signing of the agreement to unify technical regulations will be held next Monday and will then be submitted for review to the countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
"The unification of rules prevents companies ... to have the need to arrange export permits for each country in the region," reports the article in Nacion.com.