NewsWhore
05-08-2006, 04:10 PM
The Dominican private sector wants to avoid a repeat of what is described as the trauma of the negotiations for DR-CAFTA, said Julio Ortega Tous, coordinator of the National Commission for Trade Negotiations (CNCC). "I call it trauma, because this country was given three months, three rounds and then, sign here," he explained, describing the tight timeframe the country was allowed for the signing of DR-CAFTA. He was interviewed at Hoy newspaper in the company of Hugo Ramirez, director of negotiations, and Miosotis Rivas, research and strategy director. Ortega Tous recalled that the DR was left out of the trade negotiations with the Central Americans as part of CAFTA.
He made the comment on the occasion of the work that the country is doing in preparation for the signing of separate trade agreements with Mexico and Canada. He commented that the DR has a lot to gain from this. For instance, the country will be able to import textiles from Canada and Mexico that cost less than those from the US. At the present time, DR-CAFTA obliges the DR to import its textiles for apparel manufactures from the US.
Ortega Tous is also optimistic that the DR may be able to export to Mexico and Canada. Mexico is now becoming a major investor in the DR, with Cemex cement factory, Telmex (which recently purchased Verizon Dominicana), and tourism ventures among a few major recent investments. Canada is a major investor, trading partner and source of tourists with the DR.
Commenting on trade negotiations with Europe, Hugo Ramirez mentioned that the terms for the elimination of duties on protected items that was accepted for DR-CAFTA should not be taken as a base for the European agreements. He said the DR had a special interest in the US market because it buys more than 75% of Dominican produce, in contrast with Europe that purchases about 8% of Dominican exports. The economic association agreement with Europe, under the terms of the Doha agreement, needs to be concluded by the beginning of 2007.
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)
He made the comment on the occasion of the work that the country is doing in preparation for the signing of separate trade agreements with Mexico and Canada. He commented that the DR has a lot to gain from this. For instance, the country will be able to import textiles from Canada and Mexico that cost less than those from the US. At the present time, DR-CAFTA obliges the DR to import its textiles for apparel manufactures from the US.
Ortega Tous is also optimistic that the DR may be able to export to Mexico and Canada. Mexico is now becoming a major investor in the DR, with Cemex cement factory, Telmex (which recently purchased Verizon Dominicana), and tourism ventures among a few major recent investments. Canada is a major investor, trading partner and source of tourists with the DR.
Commenting on trade negotiations with Europe, Hugo Ramirez mentioned that the terms for the elimination of duties on protected items that was accepted for DR-CAFTA should not be taken as a base for the European agreements. He said the DR had a special interest in the US market because it buys more than 75% of Dominican produce, in contrast with Europe that purchases about 8% of Dominican exports. The economic association agreement with Europe, under the terms of the Doha agreement, needs to be concluded by the beginning of 2007.
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)