After Nicaraguan authorities imposed in their customs a $50 payment to each cargo vehicle transiting through their territory, Costa Rica requested a meeting to review the issue.
On March 15 of this year, Nicaraguan authorities began to collect a customs tax on the transportation of cargo in transit or with final destination in the country, which consists of the payment of $50 for each transport unit of goods that passes through land customs.
Finally, the Legislative Assembly has approved the IDB loan to improve infrastructure at the border posts of Peñas Blancas, Paso Canoas, Las Tablillas and Sixaola.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade:
IDB approves $100 million loan to improve border infrastructure.
Project will benefit border posts in Peñas Blancas, Paso Canoas, Las Tablillas and Sixaola.
On the Nicaraguan side everything is ready for cargo transported to and from the port of Limon to save 160 kilometers, through the customs post of Las Tablillas, but endless red tape is preventing works from starting in Costa Rica.
The Legislature granting approval for a loan to finance the work, completion of administrative procedures, the holding of a tender to hire a project manager who must then then tender the work internationally, are all of the steps that have to be completed to just to get work started at the customs post in Las Tablillas.
The decree approved by the Guatemalan Congress was the missing step needed to implement the free movement of people and goods between the two Central American countries.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Trade:
Guatemala, January 22, 2016. The Congress of Guatemala yesterday approved a Protocol Enabling the Deep Integration towards the free movement of people and goods between the Republics of Guatemala and Honduras.
"It is we ourselves who are still looking ourselves as independent countries, when in fact we must work even harder on this unification."
In his article published in the magazine industry, the executive director of the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala Javier Zepeda, describes the situation which as yet has not be able to be changed: the plan for regional integration only exists on paper.
From February 23rd a pilot plan will be operating, which aims to accelerate the time it takes to process carriers operating at the border.
From a statement issued by the Guatemalan Exporters Association (Agexport):
The Single Window for Exports (VUPE) and CUTRIGUA, announced that as of February 23, 2015, a pilot project will start which aims to facilitate trade at border crossings.
Both governments announced that they have signed an agreement to unify customs in order to expedite the transport of vehicles and people, with effect from 1 June.
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.
Now is the time to fulfill the clear mandate of the Presidents of the Central American Integration System for the establishment of a Customs Union in Central America.
From a statement issued by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Central America (FECAMCO):
The Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Central America (FECAMCO) held in San José, the transfer of chairmanship of this regional entity to the Chamber of Commerce of Costa Rica for the period 2015.
Despite the antiquity of the efforts for Central American integration and for the Customs Union the obstacles to trade between the countries on the isthmus presented by customs offices are notorious.
The Federation of Chambers and Associations of Exporters of Central America (Fecaxca) is once again calling for policies and common strategies for standards and customs procedures.
The Tax Authority of Guatemala has denied the existence of a consensus among Central American countries to implement a unified charge.
The Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) of Guatemala denied that there is a consensus among countries to implement a one-time charge for reviewing scanned merchandise flowing through the region, as announced by the Directorate General of Customs of El Salvador.
El Salvador is proposing implementing a single charge for non intrusive inspection of goods at borders with Guatemala and Honduras.
The Directorate General of Customs (DGA) announced that Central American countries could implement a single charge for intrusive inspection of goods. Guatemala and Honduras have shown interest in this system proposed by El Salvador.
The main issue of concern is the slow pace of intraregional trade, which in particularly is hindered by customs offices in the isthmus.
The quarterly meeting of the executive directors and presidents of the Federation of Chambers and Industry Associations of Central America (Fecaica) showed the concern of the sector over measures such as the charging at offices in El Salvador of an $18 fee for the service of scanning the cargo passing through.
It is time for the organizations dedicated to integration to be held to account, and the countless meetings and bombastic statements to be brought back down to earth.
" ... trading successfully requires a lot of work, it means risking assets, paying salaries, burning the candle at both ends in order to fulfill an order, it means having to throw away products because consumers dont like them anymore or because another one came in from abroad that pushed yours aside. Every extra dollar caused by difficulties at Central American borders pushes companies towards not being able to compete, towards disappearing. "
The regional union is bringing charges to the Central American Court of Justice over what it considers to be undue customs fees in El Salvador.
The American Federation of Freight (Fecatrans) announced that it is preparing a lawsuit against El Salvador at the Central American Court of Justice (CCJ). The union is complaining about the fees that carriers pay at customs offices in that country, which it considers improper.
The suspension of payment for customs inspections in El Salvador applies to goods in international transit and those with a local destination.
From a press release issued by the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador:
The Legislature has approved an authentic interpretation of Decree 604, approved on January 16, which contains exceptional and transitional provisions applied to the "Customs Simplification Act" to suspended for a period of 180 days, the fee for the provision of non-intrusive inspections, whose office of departure and destination are within or outside the borders of El Salvador.