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CAFTA

Guatemala: People reject "Monsanto Law" for threatening food security
29-Aug-2014 Servindi
Guatemalan civil society has strongly rejected the country’s new plant breeders’ rights law imposed through the free trade agreement with the US (CAFTA).
US trade officials give Guatemala more time to install labor overhaul
26-Aug-2014 The Hill
US trade officials on Monday said they would give Guatemala more time to implement a labor rights enforcement plan under CAFTA.
CAFTA investor rights undermining democracy and the environment: Pacific Rim mining case
23-Aug-2014 Public Citizen
Pacific Rim Mining Corp., a Canadian-based multinational firm, sought to establish a massive gold mine using water-intensive cyanide ore processing in the basin of El Salvador’s largest river, Rio Lempa.
Progress made on El Salvador deal
3-Jul-2014 Politico
Washington and El Salvador moved closer to agreement on a $277 million U.S. aid package Tuesday after the Obama administration took steps to defuse a contentious trade dispute over a modest Salvadoran program to buy seeds for poor farmers.
US tying aid to agribusiness in El Salvador, groups warn
3-Jul-2014 Mint Press News
The US State Department stands accused of conditioning development aid to El Salvador to benefit and boost foreign agribusiness in the Central American nation.
Honduras: US-Korean maquila accused of CAFTA labor violations
23-Aug-2013 WNU
Some 30 inspectors from the Honduran Labor Ministry visited the Kyungshin-Lear Honduras Electrical Distribution Systems auto parts assembly plant iafter local media reported that some employees had to wear diapers at work because of restrictions on their bathroom breaks.
US commends Nicaragua’s trade liberalization
23-Dec-2012
The U.S. government is commending Nicaragua for its continued trade liberalization and integration into the global economy under the Sandinista government of President Daniel Ortega.
Canadian miner’s complaint can proceed under El Salvador law
4-Jun-2012 Reuters
Canadian company Pacific Rim can move forward under El Salvador law with a case against that country’s government for blocking a gold mining project, but cannot file suit under a regional trade agreement, a World Bank arbitration panel ruled.
DR-CAFTA: A dismal delivery of workers’ hopes
24-Apr-2012 TWN
Late last month, the umbrella coalition of US unions, the AFL-CIO, linked up with major workers groups from Honduras to file a petition with the Department of Labor in Washington, DC. The petition censured the government of the Central American country over its failure to enforce provisions of the labour chapter of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) with the United States.
AFL-CIO Joins Honduran Unions in Petitioning US Labor Department
1-Apr-2012
This week the AFL-CIO joined the main Honduran trade unions to file a petition with the United States Department of Labor’s Public Office of Trade & Labor Affairs (OTLA) concerning the failure of the government of Honduras to effectively enforce its labor laws and comply with its commitments under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA).
Central America lures sportswear makers as Adidas shifts orders
23-Dec-2011 Bloomberg
Sportswear producers such as Adidas are turning to Central America to complement China as a source for apparel as the region’s proximity to the US allows for quick turnaround of orders during peak seasons.
Labor, environmental activists to protest World Bank’s CAFTA tribunal
15-Dec-2011 AFL-CIO
Tomorrow, the AFL-CIO will join the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) and activists from a range of labor and environmental groups to converge on the World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C., for a noon protest in opposition to a CAFTA case being brought against the Salvadoran government by Pacific Rim.
Pig farmers say imports cause bankruptcies, violate trade pact
5-Nov-2011
Pig farmers denounced that thus far this year the Agriculture Ministry has approved the import of nearly 6,000 tons of pork meat beyond the amount approved for the entire 2011, violating the Free Trade Agreement’s (DR-CAFTA) tariff quota.
Documentary: CAFTA led to workers’ rights violations in Honduras
27-Sep-2011 AFL CIO
Ever since it was passed five years ago, the Central America Free Trade Agreement-Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR) has led to an increase in unemployment, violations of worker rights and discrimination against women in Honduras, according to an about-to-be-released documentary.
Guatemala says it will win US labor challenge
9-Sep-2011 Reuters
Guatemala is confident it will defeat a US challenge to its record on labor rights, the country’s economy minister said on Wednesday, and he linked the challenge to White House efforts to win domestic support for several free trade deals.
Guatemala labor case: US steps up pressure
12-Aug-2011 In These Times
The United Steelworkers union (USW) said it strongly supported the US plan to move forward with arbitration.
US requests panel to decide Guatemala labor case
10-Aug-2011 Reuters
The United States said on Tuesday it was requesting a dispute settlement panel to hear its year-old complaint that Guatemala has failed to protect workers’ rights as required under CAFTA. Guatemala could potentially face millions of dollars in fines if the panel finds it has violated the agreement.
U.S. requests panel to decide Guatemala labor case
10-Aug-2011
The United States said on Tuesday it was requesting a dispute settlement panel to hear its year-old complaint that Guatemala has failed to protect workers’ rights as required under a free-trade agreement.
First a gold rush, then the lawyers
28-Jun-2011
Pacific Rim is suing the Salvadoran government in an international investment court, one of scores of cases in recent years in which frustrated oil, gas and mining investors, using provisions of trade agreements, have sought to recoup losses from mostly developing countries.
US steps up pressure on Guatemala to enforce labor laws
19-May-2011 AFL-CIO
The Obama administration announced yesterday that because Guatemala has not taken sufficient steps to effectively enforce its labor laws, as required under the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), it is requesting a meeting of the Free Trade Commission.