Pistas’ special bulletin deals with the first round of free trade talks with the United States underway at the Hotel Jaragua as of Wednesday. It says that, according to Industry & Commerce Deputy Minister Hugo Rivera, 80% to 90% of the text of the Central American Free Trade Agreement to which the DR would dock its own FTA with the US is a replica of one that Chile signed with the US. The talks began without Dominican negotiators having been provided with the text version of the CAFTA agreement. Regina Vargo, Deputy US Trade Representative, now says the document will be available from 23-29 January. The Dominican government and private sector will then need to study the text, examine the positions of the Central American countries, define what the Dominican side would like to incorporate and revise what the US is offering – all prior to the second round of negotiations set for Puerto Rico, 9-12 February. A final round is set for Washington, D.C. from 12-15 March. So far, discussions have focused on market access for farm, industrial and apparel products. Likewise, there has been mention of services, investments and trade capacity building, as well as intellectual property issues.
Preliminary reports say that Guatemala was the most liberal with its market, agreeing to remove import taxes on 80% of products.
Pistas says that the creation of a small committee to represent the private sector in the government-to-government negotiations was suggested. Rivera suggested that its members be Milagros Puello of the Santo Domingo Chamber of Commerce, Frank Castillo of the National Business Council (Conep), Horacio Alvarez of Adoexpo and Vilma Arbaje of V.A. Consulting.
Several business executives have been present at the Hotel Jaragua, given that what is agreed upon in these negotiations could decide the future of many companies. Some businesses are seeking equal access to the US market, which in the past has been blocked by non-tariff barriers. Dominican government negotiators are hearing the position of the US team so that they might later discuss it with the private sector, before the second round in Puerto Rico in February. Private sector members have been able to make requests for consideration to be included in the trade agreement. The talks on behalf of the DR are being led by: Elsa Scheker, Services; Orlando Jorge, Intellectual Property; Patricia Mejia, Investments; Osmar Benitez, Agriculture; Jeannette Dominguez, apparel; and Diaz Franjul, industrial products. Pistas is prepared by the Unidad de Productos Inteligentes de Recursos Globales, S.A.