Panama Now Part of SICAFriday, June 29, 2012 After negotiations to overcome some last minute objections from Nicaragua, Panama has been formally included in the Central American Integration System. Citing "lack of clarity in the protocol document regarding the exact date, requirements and deadlines to which Panama commits to in order to be integrated into SICA", Nicaragua had objected to Panama’s full integration into the Central American Integration System (SICA). Association Agreement with EU as of May 15Thursday, March 21, 2013 Honduras and Nicaragua will be the first countries to export to the European market under the preferential tariff agreed between the two regions. The agreement will be effective only in these two countries, as the parliaments of the rest of the region have not yet ratified it. C.A. Request E.U Free Tariff for LiquorThursday, November 5, 2009 Producers and importers of alcoholic beverages suggested a tariff reduction agreement between EU and CA. This request could be included in the Association Agreement being negotiated between both blocks. The EU prepares sugar offer for the regionWednesday, January 28, 2009 It is expected that the EU will present its offer for sugar in two days, within the framework of the VI Round of negotiations being held in Brussels. The Minister of Foreign Trade for Costa Rica, Marco Vinicio Ruiz, said to Elfinancierocr.com: "There has been a lot of progress in the commercial part. "Most of our products, close to 90%, will enter with zero tariff. The idea is to discuss senstive products during the rest of the week." EU-CA Negotiations Resume in GuatemalaWednesday, May 5, 2010 Next Thursday, Central America and Europe will resume their unfinished negotiations for an Association Agreement between them. Talks will last for two days, with negotiators trying to solve the differences both blocks have regarding how much tariffs to remove and how to do it on several sensible products. Trade Benefits Lost with EU AgreementWednesday, February 17, 2010 The European Union is not willing to include already existing benefits in the Association Agreement with Central America. Cencit, a Guatemalan commission which studies international treaties, remarked that losing the existing trade benefits would be counterproductive for the region. These include European market access for products manufactured in Central American free zones and maquilas. Customs Duties on Imports from EuropeMonday, September 10, 2012 There is a requirement to avoid duplicate collection of customs duties levied on imports in order to meet the provisions of the trade pact with the European Union. The commissioner of Customs at the Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) in Guatemala, Oscar Funes, referred to the commitments made by the region in the signing of the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union, signed on 29 June. Bureaucracy Delays Benefits of Association AgreementThursday, August 8, 2013 Honduras' customs system has not been updated with the new tariffs for European products, in force since 1 August. A week ago the Agreement entered into force and Honduran importers have not yet received the corresponding tariff benefits. Europe and Central America Close Association AgreementTuesday, May 18, 2010 Both blocks decided to concede in what seemed to be irreducible positions, making last minute concessions yesterday. One of the key issues was denominations of origin: Europe demanded laws to protect brands such as champagne and manchego cheese. The other was how many dairy products would be allowed into the Central American market. The latter was closed when Central America agreed to allow 1.900 tons of powder milk with reduced tariffs and 3.000 tons of cheese, excluding fresh cheese. European Parliament To Protect Banana ProductionTuesday, December 11, 2012 While passing Trade Agreement with Central America, the EP approved two clauses to protect European banana production in light of reduced tariff for imports from Central America, Peru and Colombia. These safeguards measures will allow the EU Commission to suspend preferential tariffs for up to three months should banana imports reach certain levels. |
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