Honduran textile companies are not prepared for the total elimination of industrial exclusions demanded by Peru in the negotiation of the trade agreement.
The textile sector represents 20% of the items to be negotiated in order to close the FTA deal with Peru. This negotiation focuses on issues relating to rules of origin of threads and a request by Peru to eliminate industrial exclusions.
The fourth round has been completed with agreements made on the chapters on Rules of Origin, Investment and Financial Services.
The delegations from both countries agreed to hold a fifth round of negotiations from 18th to 21st March in Panama City.
From a press release issued by the Ministry of Economy of Mexico:
The Governments of the United Mexican States and the Republic of Panama have concluded a fourth round of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This round of negotiations was held in Mexico City from 4th to 7th February 2014 and was led by Deputy Minister of International Trade Negotiations of Panama, Diana Salazar and Assistant Secretary for Foreign Trade of Mexico, Francisco de Rosenzweig.
The president of the Dominican Republic has warned the U.S. government about the impact the Trans- Pacific treaty in the textile sector in the region.
From a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic:
On November 27, President Danilo Medina sent a communication to the President of the United States, Barack Obama, in which it reiterated its concern expressed during the meeting held in San José, Costa Rica, in May, in connection with the negative impact which could come from the Trans- Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP) on the textile and clothing industry in the signatory countries of the DR -CAFTA and the region, if certain special concessions that could cause changes in the management and values of hemispheric trade, and on a worldwide level.
Regulations have been approved governing schemes involving quality seals such as those designating origin, protected geographical indications, guaranteed traditional specialties and reserved terms.
A statement from the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER) reads:
The Council of the European Union has adopted regulations regarding the quality of agricultural products and foodstuffs
After six years of proceedings, the certification for cheese makers in Santa Cruz de Turrialba, Costa Rica, makes it the first dairy product in the region to have a mark of origin.
Specifications provided for the mark of origin:
"Queso Turrialba":
1. PRODUCT NAME AND MARK OF ORIGIN
Mark of Origin "Turrialba cheese".
Two types of cheese will bear the mark: "Turrialba Fresco” (Fresh Turrialba) and "Turrialba Maduro” (Mature Turrialba).
The proliferation of international trade agreements brings the opportunity to add value to products by adding a mark of origin.
An article in Prensalibre.com quotes Fanny de Estrada, director of Competitiveness of the Guatemalan Exporters Association, who said that "marks of origin are the result of trade agreements. 'One country can demonstrate an interest in many marks of origin, but that's part of the negotiation.
The success of the food industry is based on innovation enabled by access to a wide variety of ingredients and input substances from outside the Central American region.
Rules of origin are included in trade agreements with protectionist goals that force food industry companies to work only with local raw materials. The idea is that this makes products seem more original but it seriously restricts the industry's ability to protected markets.