For the Central American Rice Federation, the bankruptcy of more than 62 thousand rice farmers in Central America and the Dominican Republic is imminent, due to the abolition of import tariffs, a measure that is part of the implementation of the DR-CAFTA Free Trade Agreement.
Representatives of the sector consider that if the commercial liberalization of rice cultivation continues, there will be an increase in unemployment and poverty in their agricultural areas, since more than 265,000 people depend directly on this crop and approximately 990,000 people indirectly, and foresee serious social, economic and political implications due to the effects of the Treaty.
Because in 2023 the tariff on rice imports will be zero because of the CAFTA-DR Treaty, rice producers in El Salvador are asking for a review of the trade agreement.
According to CAFTA-DR, which was signed in 2004 and came into force in 2006, the tariff on imports (DAI) will be eliminated gradually.
The IAD was reduced from 40% to the 13% currently charged; in 2022 it will be reduced to 6.7% and in 2023 it will be reduced to zero.
Arguing that the unusual growth in sugar imports is harming local production, the Alvarado administration decided to raise the tariff on products entering Costa Rica from 45% to 73% for a three-year period.
The Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC) concluded the investigation requested by the Agricultural Industrial League of Sugar Cane (LAICA) and 4 mills, on the safeguard measure against imports of solid state, granulated sugar, known as white sugar, used for domestic and industrial consumption, justifying a deterioration in the main economic indicators of the National Production Branch (RPN), details an official statement dated June 15.
The Panama Chamber of Commerce requested the Panama Canal Authority to postpone the start of collection of the fee for the use of fresh water in the Canal, which would begin to be paid on February 15, 2020.
On January 13, the Panama Canal Authority announced that this year "... the value of water will be incorporated into the line of other maritime services through a charge for fresh water, which will depend on the availability of the resource at the time of the vessel's transit. The freshwater charge is applicable to all vessels over 125 feet in length that transit the Canal:
As of January 2020, electric vehicles imported into El Salvador and Honduras will be exempt from the import duty, which was 30% in El Salvador until now.
The measure, which will be applied in both countries, was approved at the session of the Council of Ministers of Economic Integration (COMIECO), held in El Salvador on December 5 and 6.
Guatemalan exporters report that President Trump's warning about export tariffs and taxes on remittances and transfers is raising doubts among U.S. buyers.
Uncertainty prevails among most Guatemalan businessmen after President Trump reacted to the provisional protection established by the Guatemalan Constitutional Court, which limits the functions of the Executive Branch to negotiate or sign any foreign policy agreement.
Guatemala's business sector responded with concern to President Trump's warning about imposing export tariffs and levies on remittances and transfers.
The announcement made by the president of the United States comes after the Guatemalan Constitutional Court issued a ruling in which it limits its foreign policy functions to the Executive, by granting a provisional injunction that prevents the negotiation or signing of any agreement.
A 3% increase in the cost of electricity came into effect in El Salvador on July 15, when the rate per megawatt hour rose from $139.77 to $143.82.
The decision to increase the tariff was taken because of the lack of rain, which in the last quarter has led to a decrease in hydroelectric power generation. Added to this, the participation of the sugar mills, which generate electricity from sugar cane bagasse, was reduced.
The plan to impose a 5% tariff on Mexican products entering the U.S. would open up opportunities for Central American countries to increase their sales to the U.S., but there are fears that similar measures could be taken against the region.
On May 30, President Trump announced on his Twitter account that he plans to impose a 5% tariff on Mexican products entering the U.S.
Arguing that they should protect the local industry from dumping, the U.S. plans to impose temporary tariffs on imports of steel, textiles and footwear.
The tariffs that would be approved through the signing of presidential decrees would be valid for six months, which would be 15% for steel products, and 25% or 30% for imports of footwear and textiles.
To correct alleged price distortions in the local market, the Panamanian government plans to regulate imports of beef from Nicaragua.
The Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA)'s plan is to establish new import rules, which will aim to correct the "distortion in the price of beef paid for the local product."
A second round of negotiations to extend the partial scope agreement has concluded, with the approval of new rules on origin for trade between both countries.
The Ministry of Economy of El Salvador reported that one of the greatest achievements of this meeting was the completion of the negotiation on the market access table, with El Salvador reaching around 120 tariff codes that will be subject to improvements in tariff preferences.
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.
The Salvadoran government has stated that there are no instructions to establish import tariffs on Salvadoran products in any Honduran government institution.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Economy of El Salvador:
April 6, 2018.The Ministry of Economy, in light of news circulating in various media outlets that the Honduran government will take reciprocal measures against Salvadoran dairy products, wishes to make public knowledge that:
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock may decide to impose tariffs on dairy products from El Salvador in the coming days.
For months, Honduran dairy producers have been complaining to the government about the difficulties they face in selling their products in El Salvador, which could impose additional tariffs on the entry of these products.
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