After the Costa Rican authorities raised the tariff on imported sugar from 45% to 73%, the South American country decided to raise before the World Trade Organization, a process to exercise the right of suspension.
In June of this year, the Alvarado administration decided to increase to 79% and for the term of three years, the tariff on sugar entering the country.
In Costa Rica, the Contentious Administrative Court ruled in favor of the companies who accused the government of damaging the local market, after the Solis administration banned the import of Mexican avocado in 2014.
The conflict, which remains unsolved, dates back to several years ago, when in May 2014 Costa Rican authorities decided to ban the import of avocados from Mexico, arguing the existence of the disease known as sun spot.
In Costa Rica, the banking sector won a lawsuit it imposed against the Ministry of Finance, arising from disagreements over the method used to calculate tax payments.
The legal dispute dates back several years, since in 2003 the General Directorate of Taxation (DGT) validated the methodology suggested by the Costa Rican Banking Association (ABC) to calculate the payment of taxes on the income of financial intermediaries.
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:
San Jose.On September 19, 2018, the Government of Costa Rica was notified by the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) of the decision adopted by the Arbitral Tribunal in the case of David Richard Aven et al.c.Costa Rica (known as "Las Olas").This arbitration was filed by a group of US investors in 2014, under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).
In Costa Rica a lawsuit filed against the ICE by Unión Fenosa Generadora La Joya, has been rejected. The case included a $7.9 million claim for alleged overcharges for the suspension of a hydroelectric project in Turrialba.
Nacion.com reports that "...The case dates back to 2002 and relates to a BOT - build, operate and transfer - contract signed between the ICE and the Spanish private generator to produce 50 Megawatts (MW) of energy with a water source in the canton of Turrialba."
The lack of high-level strategic coordination in the affairs of the state run power company has led to a multi million dollar law suit whose costs will be paid for by all Costa Ricans.
An article in Nacion.com reports that in March 2015 the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) informed the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) that a multi million dollar loan for the construction of a large hydroelectric power station on the river Reventazón, was conditional on the water of the River Parismina not being used, in the same basin or above it, by other hydroelectric plants. Three months later, on June 4, the ICE pledged to buy energy from the Desarrollo Hidroeléctrico de Parismina S.A. (DHPSA), electricity that would be generated by a 20 MW hydroelectric plant to be built on the eponymous river. And just four days later, on June 11, the state power formalized with the IDB its commitment to not allow power stations on the Parismina river.
The Public Prosecutor has initiated criminal proceedings against representatives of the spanish chain RIU for alleged environmental damages generated in the construction area of the hotel it operates in Guanacaste.
Representatives of the hotel company state that all logging jobs in the area where the hotel was built in Matapalo beach, were performed with possession of permits issued at the time by the institutions.
In Costa Rica the Association of Mayors has submitted a complaint against the prohibition of generating energy from solid waste, and requested the lifting of the moratorium.
Despite the fact that on July 21 an agreement was made to allow one month to define a regulation governing the activity, the government has not made any progress on the issue and municipalities have decided to file a lawsuit with the Administrative Tribunal.
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. "
Movistar's appeal accusing the ICE of concentration of 2.6 Ghz spectrum and impeding it from using the 4G network until the law suit was resolved, has been rejected.
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad may continue marketing cellular services for its 4G network after the Administrative Court rejected an appeal by its competitor Movistar.
Infinito Gold has given an ultimatum to the Costa Rican government, to either agree to resume its gold mining project, or face an international law suit for $1.09 billion.
The Canadian mining company had initially obtained permits for the operation of a gold mine in Costa Rican territory, and had already started the project when a court ruling overturned the award, pointing to flaws in the process of granting permits, and environmental damage.
The Costa Rican construction company is suing Fomilenio and the Salvadoran government for cost overruns on Longitudinal del Norte Highway.
According to a document submitted by the company before the Public Works Committee of the Legislature, the cost of section six, which includes Ciudad Barrios-Osicala and Delicias de Concepción-Cacopera, went from $23 million to $44.8 million.
After 10 years of litigation, the First Chamber of the Judiciary has ruled in favor of the cement company Cemex on a case related to tax collection.
According to the Municipality of Abangares, in the province of Puntarenas, the cement company owed $10 million in tax payments related to the operation of a quarry.
Among the actions requested by the Municipality is a request to the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications for the concessionary award to Cemex to be annulled.
ICE claims that Alcatel attempted to bribe them in order to be awarded contracts, the Justice Department thinks otherwise.
The trial undertaken by the U.S. Government against the French company Alcatel, for alleged bribes to obtain contracts abroad, especially in Costa Rica, could end in an settlement between the Department of Justice and Alcatel, who would have to pay compensation of $137 million for the damage .
The project for construction of the Container Terminal (Terminal de Contenedores) has triumphed over the two lawsuits that sought to curb its award.
The Controller General's Office flatly rejected as inadmissible (the union has no legitimate interest, and is not a bidder in this process) the appeal filed by the Workers Union JAPDEVA (SINTRAJAP) against the award of the project to the Dutch firm APM Terminals.
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