NewsWhore
04-04-2012, 02:40 PM
Foreign trade specialist Pedro Agustin Breton Estevez has told Hoy newspaper that the DR is the leading importer of food from the United States among the DR-CAFTA signatory countries. He made the comment to refute statements from Customs director Rafael Camilo, who had denied mass imports of food products were taking place. Breton Estevez referred readers to the US Department of Agriculture website, which indicates that the DR is the leader in food imports from 2004 to December 2011, even beyond the quotas negotiated for the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement with the United States.
He said data shows that the agreement stipulated quotas of 7,040 metric tons in poultry for 2011, but in reality 25,973 metric tons have been imported, which is four times the pre-set quota, for a difference of 18,933 metric tons. In the case of beans, he said the quota was 11,360 metric tons, but 34,571 metric tons have been imported, a difference of 23,211 metric tons, or three times the quota.
He said that the data shows import surpluses in 10 food categories. According to Breton, in addition to a heavy burden on foreign exchange, this is a violation of the DR-CAFTA agreement.
As reported in Hoy, he said that the Department of Customs has violated rulings and decrees that regulate the food safeguards for DR-CAFTA for many years. He says the DGA has allowed endorsements of permits to "personal importers", beyond the traditional companies, and to companies that have not been in business the required time to qualify for the importer permits. He said a letter of a former director of Customs is proof of this.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)
He said data shows that the agreement stipulated quotas of 7,040 metric tons in poultry for 2011, but in reality 25,973 metric tons have been imported, which is four times the pre-set quota, for a difference of 18,933 metric tons. In the case of beans, he said the quota was 11,360 metric tons, but 34,571 metric tons have been imported, a difference of 23,211 metric tons, or three times the quota.
He said that the data shows import surpluses in 10 food categories. According to Breton, in addition to a heavy burden on foreign exchange, this is a violation of the DR-CAFTA agreement.
As reported in Hoy, he said that the Department of Customs has violated rulings and decrees that regulate the food safeguards for DR-CAFTA for many years. He says the DGA has allowed endorsements of permits to "personal importers", beyond the traditional companies, and to companies that have not been in business the required time to qualify for the importer permits. He said a letter of a former director of Customs is proof of this.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)