Truckers End Blockade of Paso Canoas
It's been more than two weeks since the blockade began at the Costa Rica - Panama border, however, yesterday afternoon the blockade was lifted following an the news by the Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (Sieca), that sided with the truckers.

The blockade by Panamian truckers began when Costa Rica announced the requirement that all trucks must use a "marchamo electrónico" that would track the movements of the vehicle and its load while on Costa Rican soil.

Truckers argued that the marchamo in Costa Rica violated an agreement that cover transport in the region and decided to block all truck traffic into Costa Rica. The only vehicular traffic moving at the border were buses and passenger vehicles.

Panamanian truckers seemed pleased with the Sieca decision, including the announcement by the Panamanian government that it will make it the top issue at the next Presidential Summit on March 9.

Following the announcement by Sieca. the Dirección de Aduanas de Costa Rica decided to suspend the use f the electronic marchamo until April 3, allowing time to study the situation.

Late yesterday afternoon, truck traffic began to move again at Paso Canoas, first by moving the empty trucks then later small trucks laden with merchandise. It is expected that by this morning tractor trailers will begin moving through the border control point.

The cost of the marchamo is between us$70 and us$100 that tracks the movement of a truck and its load on merchandise that has no duty paid as it moves through Costa Rica.