Estimating the effects of United States food safety and agricultural health standards on agro-food exports from Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

Productive development in open economies

Includes bibliography

Informe de la reunión de expertos sobre Panamá en el proceso de integración centroamericana

1. A lo largo de las últimas décadas, se han dado pasos de acercamiento entre Panamá y el proceso de integración centroamericana. A lo largo de este proceso, Panamá ha participado en algunas reuniones de los organismos de la integración regional, ha firmado acuerdos comerciales con sus miembros y ha analizado el cómo y cuándo ingresar al proceso de integración centroamericana. Recientemente, como consecuencia del proceso de globalización y el establecimiento de la política de regionalismo abierto en la región, las posturas de los países centroamericanos y Panamá se han acercado como nunca antes. Atendiendo a estos cambios y a lo dispuesto en el programa de trabajo regular de la Unidad de Comercio Internacional e Industria (UCII); para 2008-2009, se ha llevado a cabo un estudio sobre "Panamá y el proceso de integración centroamericana", en el que se analizan algunas áreas relevantes que podrán acercar más a Panamá y al proceso de integración centroamericana, y se identifican algunas determinantes que han facilitado un vínculo más estrecho entre Panamá y Costa Rica. 2. La Reunión de Expertos sobre “Panamá en el proceso de integración centroamericana” responde al compromiso establecido en el Plan de trabajo regular de la CEPAL para 2008-2009 para llevar a cabo una reunión de expertos relativa al tema de integración y políticas comerciales en la subregión. Las sugerencias de los expertos citados en está reunión ayudaron a elaborar la versión final del documento Panamá y el proceso de integración centroamericana”. 3. Lo que sigue de este informe tiene como objetivo principal dar cuenta de la organización, dinámica y conclusiones de este evento. Report on the Meeting of Experts on Panama in the process of Central American integration Abstract: 1. During the greater part of the past decades, Panama has begun approaching the process of Central American integration. Throughout this process, Panama has participated in several meetings with the organizations focused on regional integration, and signed several trade agreements with their members, as well as analyzed how and when to join the process of Central American integration. Recently, as a consequence of globalization and establishment of regional policies of openness in the region, the positions of the countries of Central America and Panama have become closer aligned than ever before. In response to these changes and information over the regular work program of the Unit for International Trade and Industry (UCII); for 2008-2009, a study was carried out over the subject of Panama and the process of Central American integration, in which some areas relevant to the subject Panama and the process of Central American integration were analyzed, and determinants that have facilitated a stronger link between Panama and Costa Rica were identified. 2. The meeting of experts over “ Panama and the process of Central American integration”, was in response to commitment established in the regular work plan of ECLAC for 2008-2009 to carry out a meeting experts on the matters of integration and trade policies of the subregion. The suggestions of the experts quoted from this event, helped to elaborate the final version of the report “Panama and the process of Central American integration”. 3. The main objective of this report is to provide information over the organization, dynamics and conclusions of this event.

El TLC Centroamérica-Estados Unidos: elementos de debate de gremios y sociedad civil en Costa Rica

Incluye Bibliografía

La cooperación ambiental en los tratados de libre comercio (versión preliminar)

Incluye Bibliografía

Panamá y el proceso de integración centroamericana

Incluye Bibliografía

Latin America and the Caribbean in the World Economy: 2005 Trends

The study recently published by the Division of International Trade and Integration of ECLAC considers that 2005 will be a good year for trade in the countries of the region. Despite a favourable international context, there are still serious problems of competitiveness. The region needs to increase productivity, promote technological innovation and take a proactive part in worldwide networks. The conclusions of the study include the need to update integration; to take a strategic view of the links to be constructed with China and the countries of the Pacific; to manage free-trade agreements so as to increase and diversify exports; to step up the pace of work and improve coordination with the developing countries on the Doha Round, and to gradually incorporate the demands of security into competitiveness policies, ensuring that they do not become protectionist barriers (traceability, food safety and maritime and port security).

Verification of Certificates of Origin in Chile

Origin procedures concern both the issuance and verification of certificates of origin. Certification of origin consists of demonstrating that a product complies with standards of origin that qualify a good for access to the corresponding tariff preferences in a destination market, and that no triangulation has occurred in this process. Verification of origin means not only formally checking the validity of the certificate of origin, but also ensuring that the merchandise covered by the certificate genuinely qualifies as originating. All trade agreements carry rules on origin procedures, which continue to apply after the corresponding tariff reduction programmes have concluded.  This edition of the bulletin examines the case of Chile, because of the large number of trade agreements the country has signed.

ECLAC Notes Nº 46

Regional Energy Integration Looks Distant But Could be Crucial WTO and Free Trade Agreement Dispute Settlement Mechanisms Progress OPINION Central America: Poor Terms for the Terms of Trade, by José Luis Machinea HIGHLIGHTS Integration Schemes in Crisis and the Convergence of Trade Agreements, by Osvaldo Rosales INDICATORS: Economic Growth and Employment Direct Action in Favour of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendents Rises Recent Titles Calendar

Integration in Latin America - Trends and Challenges

Regional trade agreements have had a significant presence in the design of international and productive policies in Latin American and Caribbean countries since the early 1950s. Fifty years later, the region has not reached the degree of economic inter-relation found, for instance, in Western Europe, but the concern with promoting regional integration has been a tradition in an impressive amount of speeches and declarations by policy makers in the last decades. The weakening of multilateral negotiations and the multiplicity of bilateral agreements with countries in other regions might affect regional trade both via trade diversion and through investment decisions, considering a larger time horizon. International capital movement might affect exchange rates and output growth, hence influencing trade. At the same time the need for new, broader negotiating agenda, from simply dealing with trade issues to taking into consideration topics not directly related to trade but rather to competition, labour standards, environmental issues and others increase the difficulties in designing integration strategies. Even more so if the group of countries that aim at integrating their economies present markedly different characteristics. This article – an extension of a presentation made at the German Development Institute Conference on Regional Economic Integration Beyond Europe held in Bonn in December, 2007 - discusses these and other aspects related to regional integration in Latin America and the Caribbean.

CEPAL Review no.65

Income distribution, poverty and social expenditure in Latin America / José Antonio Ocampo. -- Military expenditure and development in Latin America / Eugenio Lahera and Marcelo Ortúzar. -- Growth, distributive justice and social policy / Andrés Solimano. -- Equity, foreign investment and international competitiveness / Adolfo Figueroa. -- Tensions in Latin American structural adjustment: allocation versus distribution / Daniel M. Schydlowsky. -- Competitiveness and labour regulations / Luis Beccaria and Pedro Galin. -- Latin American families: convergences and divergences in models and policies / Irma Arriagada. -- Free trade agreements and female labour: the Chilean situation / Alicia Frohmann and Pilar Romaguera. -- Macroeconomic trends in Paraguay from 1989 to 1997: consumption bubble and financial crisis / Stephane Straub. -- The strategies pursued by Mexican firms in their efforts to become global players / Alejandra Salas-Porras. -- Regulating the private provision of drinking water and sanitation services / Terence R, Lee and Andrei S. Jouravlev. -- Quality management promotion to improve competitiveness / Hessel Schuurman.

Research on policies and institutions to support small and medium scale enterprise in the Caribbean: Trinidad adn Tobago report

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago continues to provide support to SMEs in order to enhance their international competitiveness. The increasing effects of globalization and the reality of several trade agreements require that local businesses attain and maintain a level of competitiveness which ensures their continued survival and growth. This report examines in detail the policy environment within which these enterprises operate. It also examines the role of the key implementing agencies such as the BDC and NEDCO for government’s policy on the sector and also the role of the respective line ministries. These organizations strive to deliver value added technical, financial and export promotion services to its clients on a subsidised basis. The services offered reflect five key business areas such as financing, training, technical assistance, trade assistance, business re-engineering, project management and export promotion. In the case of the BDC its services target six sectors: food and beverage, metal processing, leisure marine, including yachting, information and communication technology/electronics, printing and packaging and entertainment. These said sectors are identified by the government, on the basis of a study which was done by TIDCO, for the promotion of a cluster development strategy. In the case of NEDCO it targets the following sectors: art and craft, food and beverages, fashion and fashion accessories, culture and ecotourism, bed and breakfast operations, indigenous entertainment and light manufacturing.

Globalización, integración y comercio inclusivo en América Latina. Textos seleccionados 2010-2014

En el actual contexto de globalización económica, el tema de la inserción internacional de la región cobra una renovada importancia. La presente publicación, la segunda de la colección “Páginas Selectas de la CEPAL”, contiene extractos de documentos publicados desde 2010 y que abordan diversos aspectos de dicha temática. Entre éstos se destacan la participación regional en las cadenas mundiales y regionales de valor, la irrupción de China como un socio comercial crecientemente influyente, los logros y desafíos pendientes del proceso de integración regional en su vertiente económica y comercial, y las posibles implicancias para América Latina y el Caribe de las negociaciones comerciales megarregionales actualmente en curso. Como trasfondo de todos los textos seleccionados se encuentra el vínculo entre la participación regional en el comercio internacional y el logro de un crecimiento inclusivo. Este último se entiende como un crecimiento capaz de contribuir a la reducción de la heterogeneidad estructural mediante un aumento del empleo, la productividad y el ingreso, mejorando el bienestar de la mayoría y reduciendo la desigualdad

Network for Cooperation in Integrated Water Resource Management for Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean No. 24

Editorial remarks.-- Open discussion: Integrating economics, legislation and administration in water and water services management ; Water and Free Trade Agreements ; Provision of transport infraestructure.-- News of the network: WALIR ; Prevention and reduction of the Danger Posed by natural disasters ; Ministry of Water in Bolivia ; Water management council of the Paute Basin in Ecuador ; CRSS.-- Internet and WWW news