China, Costa Rica Make Progress In Free
Trade Talks
(AFP) – China and Costa Rica concluded the
fourth round of negotiations in Beijing
aimed at reaching a free trade agreement,
according to the foreign trade ministry.
Costa Rica -- which gave up six decades of
ties with Taiwan in favor of China two years
ago -- is the third Latin American country
to negotiate a free trade deal with China,
after Chile and Peru.
In the round of talks that ended Thursday
agreements were reached for more than 90
percent of each country's exports, the trade
ministry said.
Costa Rican exports include coffee, bananas,
fruit juices, cigars, pork, beef and
chicken, said Costa Rican chief negotiator
Fernando Ocampo.
Costa Rican negotiators face intense
pressure from the local business community,
which is calling for a long list of
potential Chinese exports to be banned,
fearing they will be overwhelmed by cheap
imports.
Advances in trade talks were also made in
other areas such as labor, investment,
environment, and immigration.
Ocampo said he was very satisfied with the
advances, but said that important issues
were still pending. |
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