OAS

 
Central America-Dominican Republic
Text of the Agreement
  Background and Negotiations
   

The 1990s meetings of Central American presidents, an important element of the Central American peace process, also focused on issues relating to the Central American Integration System. These meetings extended participation to include neighbouring countries such as Belize, the Dominican Republic and Panama.

At the III Extraordinary Meeting of Presidents of Central America held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from 5-7 November 1997, the presidents of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, along with Belize, the Dominican Republic and Panama, signed a Declaration and a Framework Cooperation Agreement formally launching the enlargement of the Central American integration process. The declaration, in paragraph 11, expresses the intent to create a free trade area between Central America and the Dominican Republic and instructed the Ministers of Trade to initiate this process no later than the first trimester of 1998. This commitment was set out in the Santo Domingo Agreement of 6 November 1997, in which ministers from the Central American countries and the Dominican Republic agreed to negotiate a free trade agreement covering goods, services and investment, in which the entire tariff universe, with certain justified exceptions, would be immediately liberalized.

Negotiations were launched in February 1998 and the normative part of the agreement was signed on 16 April 1998. A Plan of Action for the implementation of the free trade agreement was set out to address remaining issues. Negotiations on the Plan of Action items concluded on 5 November 1998 and a Protocol containing these agreements was signed on 28 November 1998.

Documents relating to the negotiations
29 November 1998 Miami, USA. Protocol to the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement Spanish PDF
27 November 1998 Central America-Dominican Republic free trade agreement to be signed on 28 November 1998 Spanish PDF
05 November 1998 San Salvador, El Salvador. Conclusion of Central America-Dominican Republic negotiations Spanish PDF
16 April 1998 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Press release on the signing of the Central American-Dominican Republic free trade agreement framework Spanish PDF
06 November 1997 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo Agreement Spanish PDF
06 November 1997 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Framework Cooperation Agreement Spanish PDF
06 November 1997 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo Declaration Spanish PDF
Source: Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA)

  Entry into Force
   

On 14 March 2001 the Senate of the Dominican Republic approved the free trade agreement. On 4 October 2001 the free trade agreement entered into force between the Dominican Republic and El Salvador and between the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. On 19 December 2001 the agreement entered into force between the Dominican Republic and Honduras; on 7 March between the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica; and on 3 September 2002 between the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

Documents relating to entry into force
03 September 2002 Free trade agreement enters into force for Dominican Republic and Nicaragua Spanish PDF
07 March 2002 Free trade agreement enters into force for Dominican Republic and Costa Rica Spanish PDF
03 October 2001 Free trade agreement enters into force of Dominican Republic and El Salvador Spanish PDF
15 March 2001 Dominican Republic approves FTA with Central America Spanish PDF
Source: Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (COMEX); Ministerio de Economía de El Salvador; Ministerio de Fomento, Industria y Comercio de Nicaragua; Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA)

  Implementation of the Agreement
   

Article 18-01 of the Agreement establishes an Administrative Council to oversee the implementation and operation of the Agreement. The first meeting of the Council took place on 3 September 2002. The Technical Committees created under the Agreement met on 30 October 2002.

On 10 August 2010, the Joint Administrative Council for the Central America-Dominican Republic FTA met to advance in the application of the agreement.

Meetings of the Administrative Council
10 August 2010 San Jose, Costa Rica. Meeting of the Joint Administrative Council for the Central America- Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement spanishPDF
21 February 2003 Second meeting of the Joint Administrative Council for the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement spanishPDF
30 October 2002 First meeting of technical committees of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement spanishPDF
03 September 2002 First meeting of the Joint Administrative Council for the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement spanishPDF
Source: Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (COMEX)

Decisions of the Administrative Council
06 September 2010 Decision No 16. Approval of the Rules of Origin for Chapters 52, 61, 62 and 63 spanishPDF
06 September 2010 Decision No 15. Approval of the Dispute Settlement Roster (Chapter XVI) spanishPDF
06 September 2010 Decision No 14. Adequacy of the Specific Rules of Origin contained in Annex IV Specific Rules of Origin spanishPDF
05 August 2004 Decision No 13. Decision related to the Mutual Recognition of Medicines spanishPDF
21 February 2003 Decision No 11. Study and design of a technical cooperation plan in the area of patents spanishPDF
21 February 2003 Decision No 10. Approval of the code of conduct and model rules of procedure for dispute settlement spanishPDF
  Annex Decision No 10 spanishPDF
21 February 2003 Decision No9. Approval of the rules and procedures of the Joint Administrative Council for the free trade agreement spanishPDF
  Annex to Decision No 9 spanishPDF
21 February 2003 Decision No 8. Decision related to the mutual recognition of medicines spanishPDF
03 September 2002 Decision No 7. Allows States Parties to hold bilateral meetings spanishPDF
03 September 2002 Decision No 6. Confirmation of the Certificate of Origin spanishPDF
03 September 2002 Decision No 5. Confirmation of the tariff reduction schedules spanishPDF
03 September 2002 Decision No 4. Confirmation of the consultative committee on private trade disputes spanishPDF
03 September 2002 Decision No 3. Integration on national sections of the Secretariat spanishPDF
03 September 2002 Decision No 2. Formation of committees spanishPDF
03 September 2002 Decision No 1. Formation of the Joint Administrative Council spanishPDF
Source: Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (COMEX)

  Related Articles and Studies
   
October 2015 Ministerio de Economía, Guatemala. Evaluación de las relaciones comerciales entre Guatemala y la República Dominicana Espanol PDF New!
October 2014 Ministerio de Economía, Guatemala. Evaluación de las relaciones comerciales entre Guatemala y República Dominicana EspanolPDF
September 2013 Ministerio de Economía, Guatemala. Evaluación de las relaciones comerciales entre Guatemala y la República Dominicana Espanol PDF
2007 COMEX. Cinco Años del Tratado de Libre Comercio entre Centroamérica y República Dominicana Spanish PDF
September 2006 Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA). Estado de la Integración Económica Centroamericana Spanish
April 2005 Informe del Grupo de Trabajo de los Viceministros de Comercio y de Trabajo de los países de Centroamérica y de la República Dominicana). La Dimensión Laboral en Centroamérica y la República Dominicana, construyendo sobre el progreso: Reforzando el cumplimiento y potenciando las capacidades Spanish PDF
June 2003 Dirección de Aplicación de Acuerdos Comerciales Internacionales
y Unidad de Monitoreo del Comercio y la Inversión, Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (COMEX). El comercio y la inversión entre Costa Rica y República Dominicana bajo el TLC en el 2002 Spanish PDF
1998 Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (COMEX). Tratado de Libre Comercio entre la República de Costa Rica y la República Dominicana Spanish PDF

  Sources
   
 

Spanish version
Recent Developments
 

October 2015 . Assessment of trade relations between Guatemala and the Dominican Republic New!


Contents