Costa Rican businessmen complain that because of export subsidies granted to sugar producers in India, there has been an artificial increase in production, causing prices to fall below costs.
Édgar Herrera, executive director of the Industrial Agricultural League of Sugarcane (Laica), explained to Elobservador.cr that "...
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.
An international tribunal has ruled in favor of the Costa Rican government in a legal process in which US investors denounced arbitrary actions in the development of a real estate project in Esterillos beach.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade:
In Costa Rica, the state power company will have to pay $112 million to the contractor of the Chucás hydroelectric project, for "additional expenses that it authorized and then refused to recognize."
In the ruling issued by the International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration (CICA), to which the company Enel Green Power Costa Rica appealed to resolve a conflict that originated in 2015 due to an almost $148 millionincrease in the Chucás hydroelectric project, which has not yet been completed, it was established that Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) acted with "bad contractual faith".
The Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission rejected the arguments put forward by the Costa Rican construction company, which demanded payment of $13 million for alleged overcharges incurred in a road works project within the Fomilenio project.
From the statement issued by the Attorney General:
Panama.The Attorney General's Office reports that a new international arbitration case has been won by the State of El Salvador, for thirteen million dollars, in a lawsuit filed against the FOMILENIO project.
The ICSID Arbitral Tribunal has ruled that the Costa Rican government did not cause damage to the company of Swiss capital, Gas Nacional Zeta, which sought damages of $75 million for disagreements over the LP gas tariff setting.
In 2013 the company of Swiss capital sued the Costa Rican government over disagreements on the tariff setting and safety requirements.
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Employers indicate that taking the dispute to an arbitration panel will cost many millions of dollars and will result in indemnization payments, as it is clear that trade agreements and phytosanitary standards were breached.
The announcement by the Mexican authorities to take Costa Rica to a World Trade Organization (WTO) arbitration panel because of the dispute over avocados, has caused concern among employers who are members of the Chamber of Exporters and Importers of Perishable Goods (Ceipp).
The irreconcilable positions of both countries over phytosanitary measures for the Mexican product form the backdrop to a possible arbitration panel with the world trade body.
Since Costa Rica stopped issuing permits for the entry of Hass avocados from Mexico, for phytosanitary protectionism reasons, (the country argues they are protecting themselves from the disease known as sunspot), neither country has managed to convince the other through technical and political methods to reopen the market.
Experts will be meeting in Panama City from 16th to 18th of March to discuss issues and progresses related to arbitration procedures in Latin America and the world.
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama:
The Canadian firm Infinito Gold has ceased operations and requested the temporary suspension of arbitration against Costa Rica over the failed concession of the Crucitas gold mine.
The cessation of business operations due to lack of financial resources, announced in mid-July, when all its directors and managers resigned, could be the main reason for the decision to request the temporary suspension of the proceedings against Costa Rica over the Crucitas gold mine, for which $94 million was demanded for violations of the agreement for the promotion and protection of investments between Costa Rica and Canada.
The Italian company in charge of the 50 MW hydroelectric station Chucás has appealed the fine of $4.6 million imposed due to delays in the construction of the plant.
The hydroelectric project, which is being built in the format of Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) in Atenas in Alajuela, has been delayed due to "external causes such as landslides caused by geological problems and flooding", explained the company to Crhoy.com .
As of July 1 the arbitration panel ruling which came down on the side of Costa Rica will be put into practice, and from now on all Costa Rican exports to the Salvadoran market will enjoy the preferences stated in the DR-CAFTA.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica:
The event which will be held from February 22nd to 24th in San José will focus on the practice of international arbitration in resolving contractual problems in construction projects.
From a statement issued by the International Chamber of Commerce in Costa Rica (ICC):
A group of U.S. investors is suing the state for $70 million alleging violation of DR-CAFTA preventing the development of real estate project Las Olas in Puntarenas.
The lawsuit filed with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) by a group of investors led by David Richard Aven notes that "... national authorities treated them unfairly, in relation to a real estate development project in the Esterillos beach area in the Central Pacific. They also claim that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with their country was violated. "
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