NewsWhore
06-21-2007, 03:50 PM
Trade negotiation expert Hugo Ramirez of Dominex alerts that bilateral trade with the European Union is at risk. The trade preferences of the DR with the European Union expire in January 2008, and exports such as tobacco products (cigars), rum, bananas and sugar will be subject to tariffs as of then, reducing the competitiveness of the country.
Ramirez reports that the outcome of the meeting of the Technical Negotiating Group on Market Access for the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) held in Trinidad 12-13 June was "a total chaos as to reaching an agreement this year."
He explained that the European Community negotiation officials stated in Trinidad that they had a mandate to foster harmonized tariff liberalization, which means that all Cariforum countries have among themselves the same or better access than the one granted to the European Union by the EPA. The position of the EU is that if regional integration is not achieved, "there will be no EPA at all."
The Europeans point to the "multilateralism clause" that is included in the draft text of the EPA. "This means, for example, that orange juice made in DR will receive the same treatment granted by Jamaica to Spain under the EPA," explains Ramirez. Dominican trade negotiators are in agreement with the European position for harmonized liberalization commitments.
The EPA would replace the Caricom-DR bilateral free trade agreement and grants better access. Caricom negotiators fear the DR produce would be more attractively priced, and could take market share away from them in Europe.
So far, the main obstacle to the finalizing of tariff liberalization talks is that Caricom countries sustain an exaggerated exclusion list, or no phase out moratorium, and may continue to do so during the Technical Working Group scheduled to take place in Barbados, 16-20 July.
Ramirez is pessimistic about what could happen regarding the critical issue of multilateralism. "It is our perception at Dominex that the decision will not take place before the summer break, and therefore it will be virtually impossible to implement EPA by 1 January 2008," he forecasts.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)
Ramirez reports that the outcome of the meeting of the Technical Negotiating Group on Market Access for the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) held in Trinidad 12-13 June was "a total chaos as to reaching an agreement this year."
He explained that the European Community negotiation officials stated in Trinidad that they had a mandate to foster harmonized tariff liberalization, which means that all Cariforum countries have among themselves the same or better access than the one granted to the European Union by the EPA. The position of the EU is that if regional integration is not achieved, "there will be no EPA at all."
The Europeans point to the "multilateralism clause" that is included in the draft text of the EPA. "This means, for example, that orange juice made in DR will receive the same treatment granted by Jamaica to Spain under the EPA," explains Ramirez. Dominican trade negotiators are in agreement with the European position for harmonized liberalization commitments.
The EPA would replace the Caricom-DR bilateral free trade agreement and grants better access. Caricom negotiators fear the DR produce would be more attractively priced, and could take market share away from them in Europe.
So far, the main obstacle to the finalizing of tariff liberalization talks is that Caricom countries sustain an exaggerated exclusion list, or no phase out moratorium, and may continue to do so during the Technical Working Group scheduled to take place in Barbados, 16-20 July.
Ramirez is pessimistic about what could happen regarding the critical issue of multilateralism. "It is our perception at Dominex that the decision will not take place before the summer break, and therefore it will be virtually impossible to implement EPA by 1 January 2008," he forecasts.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)