Dominican Today, Dominican Republic

Free Trade would be launched in January to avoid jeopardizing agro

7 September 2006

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican government will inform United States authorities as to how it prefers to handle export guidelines that are expected to enter the country en masse, should the DR-CAFTA be implemented before year’s end.

This is related to imports of such products as rice, beans, onions, garlic, sugar, meats and milk. Should the trade accord begin in October or November, import quotas for the whole of 2006 would apply.

To avoid a debacle in local business profits, the government mulls pushing the FTA to January 2007, which would prorate the quotas throughout a full year.

Notwithstanding, local authorities have not assume a definite position, though government technicians are well aware that terminology of the trade agreement favors the United States on the quota issue.