After the cancelation by Costa Rica of the traditional regional tourism event CATM, El Salvador has announced that in September it will be organizing a fair to promote itself as a tourist destination.
"This fair is El Salvador's response to the regional impasse that was experienced with the traditional Central America Travel Market (CATM), after Costa Rica decided not to host this fair, the most important on the isthmus, leaving each country to promote itself individually and not as an integrated destination", reported Elmundo.com.sv .
The tax on vehicles with foreign plates is having a negative impact on the transportation of goods, raising costs and increasing paperwork and lengthening waiting times at customs offices.
From a statement from the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Central America (FECAMCO):
The Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Central America (FECAMCO) wishes to express its increasing concern over the current situation in our region, characterized by the exacerbation of the problems that affect its competitiveness and development.
With the formal integration of the canal country into SIECA, what was a geopolitical contradiction has been corrected, because Panama always should have been part of Central America.
From a press release from the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIECA):
The Secretariat of the Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) congratulates the brotherly people of the Republic of Panama for joining the Central American Economic Integration Subsystem by means of the deposit of the Incorporation Protocol made on Monday May 6 this year.
Preparations are being made for a single form that will streamline customs trade ahead of the entry into force of the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union.
According to the president of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (Cosep), Joseph Adam Aguerri, already working on this issue are the Central American Integration System (SICA), and the Secretariat of Central American Economic Integration (SIEC).
The Union of Central American Bi-National Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Mexican Investment has been formally established.
Ucabicimex is "formed by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Costa Rica - Mexico (Cicomex), the Salvadoran - Mexican Trade (Chamber Casalmex), the Guatemalan - Mexican Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CAMEX), the Honduras - Mexico Enterprise Chamber ( CEHM), the Mexico - Costa Rica Enterprise Chamber (Camexcr), the Mexico - El Salvador Enterprise Chamber (Camexsal), the Mexico - Nicaraguan Enterprise Chamber (Camenic) and the Mexico - Panama Chamber of Commerce (Camexpa) ", reported Nacion.com.
Differences in customs processes between Central American countries to date are preventing them from trading as a block, in this case, with the EU.
According to the manager of the Integration and Trade Sector at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Antoni Estevadeordal, trade agreements themselves are not a guarantee of success."It is not enough to have a policy of openness.
In the past 20 years intraregional trade grew at a rate of 12% per year, indicating an opportunity to deepen integration by finally fully adopting the customs union.
However, experts believe that Central America still faces challenges, specifically in customs matters.
"Exports to Central America have grown over the past 20 years at a rate of 50% more than exports to the rest of the world." "...at an average of 12% annually, and our exports to the world have grown at an average of 8% annually. This underlines the importance of intraregional trade dynamics in this space of Central American integration," said Hugo Beteta, CEO of the subregional site of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Mexico.
Countries involved in the Mesoamerica Project will create an Efficient Illumination Strategy in Central America, to reduce the use of incandescent lamps.
From the website of the Mesoamerica Project:
Countries launch strategy to promote efficient lighting in Central America
The countries involved in the Mesoamerica Project have officially launched the start of activities to create an Efficient Lighting Strategy in Central America, with the goal of promoting policies and practices aimed at reducing the use of incandescent bulbs and advance the transition to efficient lighting (low energy consumption) in Central America.
The unification of customs procedures would mean savings of $300 per day for each unit dedicated to the regional transport of goods.
S21.com.gt reports that "Representatives and delegates of the Confederation of Customs Brokers of the Caribbean Basin (Conaacc) from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic met yesterday to unify search procedures in a Central American Customs Code, which aims to facilitate trade between the region. "
Last Friday in San Jose the first round of negotiations of the Customs Union ended, having made major advances in the fields of food, medicine, manufacturing and agriculture.
A press release from the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica reads:
On Friday in San Jose the first round of negotiations of the Customs Union ended, having made major advances in the fields of food, medicine, manufacturing and agriculture.
The Central American Federation for the Beef Industry is promoting the creation of traceability protocols that would allow them to export meat to the EU.
Regional leaders in the cattle industry and beef marketers "came together to promote the creation of a traceability protocol that would allow them to export meat to the EU."
Christopher Navas, president of the Federation, said: "We met to discuss the problem of the meat sector in Central America, seeing as the agreement for a free association with the European community has been signed, and that gives countries in the region the right to export a quota of meat. However, to do this we have to meet certain requirements. "
A regional legal framework is required that will allow for long-term contracts, not only between countries but also between plants located in one country selling power to another.
Central America’s electrical integration requires not only enabling the Electrical Interconnection System but also an appropriate regional framework.
With the current drive seen in several Central American countries to develop power generation projects, it is essential to look beyond national perspectives and visualize the possibilities for optimization of available resources and complementation of the energy matrices of the region.
Tourist industry experts gathered recently in Honduras in order to petition the region's governments for 'more political will' to achieving genuine tourism integration.
Mariano Beltranena, president of the Federation of Tourism Chambers of Central America (FEDECATUR) said, "There needs to be more political will to promote tourism and carry out tourism integration in the region ...
There are too many entities in the field of integration and they do not seem to be working with the speed they should.
The President of FECAMCO (Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Central America), Mario Gonzalez, believes that together with the customs union, key to boosting development in the region, there are other factors to consider, such as legal certainty, investment in technical education and physical security of persons and property.
There is a requirement to avoid duplicate collection of customs duties levied on imports in order to meet the provisions of the trade pact with the European Union.
The commissioner of Customs at the Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) in Guatemala, Oscar Funes, referred to the commitments made by the region in the signing of the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union, signed on 29 June.