Following Costa Rica's decision to impose requirements on the entry of avocados grown in Honduras, Costa Rican businessmen believe that these unilateral measures could generate trade retaliation for the country.
Arguing that molecular biology tests detected the presence of the Avocado Sunblotch viroid in shipments from Honduras, the Costa Rican State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) decided to start taking samples to analyze Honduran avocados.
Arguing that through molecular biology tests the presence of the Avocado Sunblotch viroid was detected in shipments from Honduras, Costa Rican authorities decided to impose requirements on the entry of the fruit produced in Honduran territory.
Fernando Araya, Director of the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE), confirmed on May 25, 2021 that "... from this moment on, when samples are taken for analysis by the Molecular Biology Laboratory of avocado shipments from Honduras, these will be retained and will be released once a negative result for Avocado Sunblotch viroid (ASBVd) is obtained. The above in compliance with the responsibility to prevent the introduction and spread of pests that threaten food security and economic activity based on agricultural production."
Importers of rolled products in Guatemala demand objectivity in the investigation conducted by the Ministry of Economy to determine whether or not to apply a safeguard to the import of these products.
Derived from the request made by the company Ternium, for the Directorate of Foreign Trade Administration (DACE) to carry out an economic study of the import of rolled products in the country, which has as its main objective, to establish if appropriate a safeguard measure, companies such as Ferromax and Grupo Ferroso, SA, require that the results of the investigation are objective and respond to the real situation of the market.
Since Costa Rica suspended the entry of Hass avocado from Mexico, countries such as Chile, Peru and Nicaragua have taken advantage of the situation to increase their exports to the Costa Rican market.
The dispute that is still unresolved dates back several years, when in May 2014 the Costa Rican authorities decided to ban the import of avocado from Mexico, arguing the existence of the disease called sunspot.
Despite the fact that in December it was announced that a WTO panel would be formed to solve Mexico's complaint against Costa Rica, this was only established on May 16 and in the next few days’ meetings will begin to set the calendar for the process.
The unresolved conflict dates back several years, in May 2014, when Costa Rican authorities decided to ban the import of avocado from Mexico, arguing the existence of the disease called sunspot.
Panama notified the international organization of its decision to initiate a safeguard investigation into certain cuts of fresh, chilled or frozen pork.
According to Resolution No. 003 of May 3, 2019, published in the Gaceta Oficial (Official Gazette), the Panamanian government ordered "to begin an investigation for the possible imposition of safeguard measures to the product Pork meat, fresh, chilled or frozen; in carcasses or half carcasses, bone-in or boneless, fit for human consumption, requested by the Asociación Nacional de Porcinoculturoes de Panamá (ANAPOR)."
Mexico asks to inspect Costa Rican farms to determine if it is true that the sustain is not in the crops, to which local producers oppose.
In December 2018, the phytosanitary and livestock authorities of Costa Rica and Mexico agreed on a procedure to end almost four years of trade conflict, which arose from the barriers imposed on the entry of avocado to the Costa Rican market.
Authorities from both countries agreed that Costa Rica would accept avocado from Mexico, as long as it has a phytosanitary certificate indicating that the shipment is "symptom-free."
The State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) of Costa Rica, managed to agree in December 2018 with the new Mexican authorities, the procedure to end almost four years of trade conflict, which emerged from the barriers imposed on the entry of avocado to the Costa Rican market.
The WTO was part of the panel of experts that will resolve Mexico's lawsuit against Costa Rica, arising from the barriers imposed by the Costa Rican authorities to import the fruit.
The trade conflict emerged because of the barriers that Costa Rica imposes since 2014 to the entry of avocado from Mexico. Because the dispute remains unresolved, the authorities of the North American country requested last November 27 to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to submit the case to an arbitration panel.
Because of the problem of the barriers that Costa Rica has imposed since 2014 to the entry of avocado from Mexico remains unsolved, the Mexican authorities asked the WTO to refer the case to an arbitration panel.
The blockade of the Mexican avocado does not end. The Ministry of Foreign Trade (Comex) reported that Mexico requested the WTO to establish a panel of arbitrators to solve the dispute.
For Nicaraguan stockbreeders, the imposition of a 30% tariff on beef imports from Panama violates the conditions established in the trade agreement between the two countries.
In Panama, representatives of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Beef Export Plants (Canicarne), reported that the imposition of tariffs and other non-tariff measures for Nicaraguan meat have stockbreeders and industrialists concerned.
If Costa Rican businessmen still had doubts about the direction to be taken by the new Alvarado administration in agricultural matters, the affirmations made by the newly-appointed minister of Agriculture and Livestock have managed to dissipate them completely.
EDITORIAL
"...'The position that I bring to the ministry is to protect national production, with all the legal and technical instruments provided to us by treaty frameworks ...We are going to be very jealous with entries, no matter what they are, with meats, with potatoes.There has been a lot of laxity, non compliance with the regulations," said Renato Alvarado, the ministry's new leader, to Nacion.com.
Almost three years after the beginning of the restriction of avocado imports from Mexico, citing supposed phytosanitary issues, the Solis administration is now promoting exports of Costa Rican varieties of the fruit, while the local market suffers from shortages.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock announced with great fanfare that it has started an advice giving program to a group of Hass avocado producers in Tarrazú, so that they can start to export the fruit to European countries.
If the request by the Panamanian Ministry of Commerce and Industries is approved, a new tax of up to 40% could be established on the dividends distributed by Colombian companies.
The South American country has extended the tariff of 35% and 40% on imports of footwear and textiles, respectively, for two more years, further complicating the outlook for companies in the Colon Free Zone.
Up until November 2019, the Colombian government will continue to apply the 35% tariff for footwear and 40% for textiles that enter the country at a value equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold.