Agencia Andina | 6 Jan 2011

Peru, Central America to hold second round of FTA negotiations

Lima, Jan. 06 (ANDINA). The Second Round of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Negotiations between Peru and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama (Central American countries) will take place from January 17 to 21 in Panama City.

The First Round of Negotiations held in Lima between November 8 and 12, 2010, resulted in rapprochement talks and common methodologies to be used.

Peru’s Foreign Trade and Tourism Ministry (Mincetur) said that this new round includes the negotiation of issues such as market access, rules of origin, customs operation, customs procedures and technical barriers to trade.

Other issues to be discussed are sanitary and phytosanitary measures, trade defense, competition policies, services, investments, intellectual property, among others.

Deputy Foreign Trade Minister Carlos Posada has requested the ministry to authorize a team of professionals to travel to Panama in order to safeguard Peru’s interests.