NewsWhore
07-10-2006, 02:10 PM
According to Minister of Commerce and Industry, Francisco Javier Garcia, the DR-CAFTA agreement could start up "at any moment". The minister said that a delegation would be going to Washington today to meet with US trade officials and iron out the details that are currently pending. According to Garcia, these delegates will not return to the DR until the review of the 14 issues is concluded. He estimates that these negotiations should not take more than two weeks.
Vilma Arbaje, the chief negotiator and head of the Department of Foreign Commerce for the ministry, told reporters that the Dominican Republic would probably have to negotiate with each of the 50 US states in order for local traders to gain access to markets. While not every exporter will have to deal with all 50 states, Arbaje pointed out that it is probable, as happened in Chile, that a certain state may well require other conditions in addition those included in DR-CAFTA.
Only the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica have pending the implementation of DR-CAFTA that is already in operation in El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras.
Andres Vanderhorst, of the National Competitiveness Council, explained that the US office put aside the case of the DR when the Dominican government voluntarily announced on 1 January 2006, that it would be postponing implementation until July 2006, and gave priority to the studying of documentation from other countries.
Speaking on the Finjus sponsored TV program, Vanderhost said that the Dominican Republic will benefit from the treaty primarily because it will oblige the nation to organize itself, achieve greater transparency and clear rules. He said, as reported in Hoy newspaper, that the DR must have clear that our competitor is not the US, but rather China, India, Korea and Central America. He stressed the nation needs to improve the education levels of the population.
President Leonel Fernandez in his travels to Asia early in July stressed the DR-CAFTA could work to the advantage turning Asian competitors into partners. He highlighted in his talks to Asian businessmen that companies interested in having access to the US market could do so through investments in the Dominican Republic as exports to the US would fall under the duty-free treatment of DR-CAFTA.
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)
Vilma Arbaje, the chief negotiator and head of the Department of Foreign Commerce for the ministry, told reporters that the Dominican Republic would probably have to negotiate with each of the 50 US states in order for local traders to gain access to markets. While not every exporter will have to deal with all 50 states, Arbaje pointed out that it is probable, as happened in Chile, that a certain state may well require other conditions in addition those included in DR-CAFTA.
Only the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica have pending the implementation of DR-CAFTA that is already in operation in El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras.
Andres Vanderhorst, of the National Competitiveness Council, explained that the US office put aside the case of the DR when the Dominican government voluntarily announced on 1 January 2006, that it would be postponing implementation until July 2006, and gave priority to the studying of documentation from other countries.
Speaking on the Finjus sponsored TV program, Vanderhost said that the Dominican Republic will benefit from the treaty primarily because it will oblige the nation to organize itself, achieve greater transparency and clear rules. He said, as reported in Hoy newspaper, that the DR must have clear that our competitor is not the US, but rather China, India, Korea and Central America. He stressed the nation needs to improve the education levels of the population.
President Leonel Fernandez in his travels to Asia early in July stressed the DR-CAFTA could work to the advantage turning Asian competitors into partners. He highlighted in his talks to Asian businessmen that companies interested in having access to the US market could do so through investments in the Dominican Republic as exports to the US would fall under the duty-free treatment of DR-CAFTA.
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)