ISDS Case Map
CAFTA
US - Central America Free Trade Agreement
Costa Rica will hold a referendum on whether to enter a regional free trade pact with the United States, President Oscar Arias said on Friday, in a blow to Washington's trade agenda in the region.
Dominican Industries Association (AIRD) president Manuel Díez said yesterday that the fact that the authorities have yet to create the mechanisms to apply Law 01-02 on Unfair Business Practices is shameful, despite that it was approved more than five years ago.
At literally minutes to midnight on April 1, the United States signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korean negotiators and rushed it to Congress. Congress now has 90 days to review the Korea, Peru, Colombia, and Panama agreements, before fast track authority expires on June 30.
Pittsburgh-based Railroad Development Corporation (RDC) has hired former US trade agreement negotiator, Regina Vargo, and filed suit against the Guatemalan government under the investor-state provisions within Chapter 10 of CAFTA.
It has taken great efforts to change what has been customary in the Government, but the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between Dominican Republic, Central America and the United States (Dr-Cafta) is forcing the official agencies to be transparent.
The National Vehicle Distributors Association (ANADIVE) recommended to the Dominican population not to create the false expectations that automobile prices would drop because of the DR-CAFTA free trade deal.
This year's Apparel Sourcing Show in Guatemala City offers delegates the chance to take stock of the first full year of the US-Central America and Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).
At least two United States supermarket chains have announced the start of operations in Dominican territory before the end of this year or in the first quarter in 2008, whereas Puerto Rican investors began the process to install tourism and real estate projects in the country, totaling 520 million dollars.
Dr Emilio Cordero Michel has warned that the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Central America, known as DR-CAFTA, far from being a panacea, “will only fill the Dominican Republic with poverty and problems that we will never be able to solve”.
President Leonel Fernández has said that the entry into effect of the DR-CAFTA agreement between the Dominican Republic, Central America and the United States provides "a sea of opportunities" for trade, investment and business between the Dominican Republic and the neighboring island of Puerto Rico.
