American Expatriate Costa Rica

Costa Rica hasn’t set conditions to join the Pacific Alliance

The president Luis Guillermo Solís will give a speech at a business forum to be held during the 11th Pacific Alliance summit. However, his administration hasn’t decided which conditions to propose to join the free trade agreement.

The minister of Foreign Trade, Alexander Mora, said that the country’s current fiscal situation doesn’t allow to financially support neither private sectors that would benefit from the agreement nor those that would be affected.

México, Colombia, Perú and Chile launched the agreement in 2011. The regional forum will meet from June, 28th  until July,1st in Chile.

Mora added that Costa Rica will consult the countries at the summit whether to accept current adherence conditions or negotiate opening up to just some economic sectors.

The agriculture and agribusiness sectors have rejected adhering the agreement under current conditions. While foreing trade and export businesses support to open negotiations.

More than two years ago, former president Laura Chinchilla requested membership to the regional initiative.

Source: La Nación.