|
None of the Central American countries that are part of
the Central American Free Trade Agreement has written, rewritten,
repealed or implemented the laws necessary for implementation
of the trade pact, and it missed its implementation date
of Jan. 1. A spokesman for the U.S. Trade Representative's
office said the bitterly contested CAFTA will be delayed
by at least a month, perhaps longer.
U.S. Democrats, who opposed the pact, pointed to the lack
of movement by the Central American countries as evidence
of a flawed policy. Of the six countries affected, all but
Costa Rica have ratified the agreement, but none has taken
any of the internal steps, including tariff removal, necessary
for implementation.
Under the provisions of the pact, tariffs on U.S. pork and
beef eventually would have been dropped altogether, a boon
to the pork industry in particular. The poverty-stricken
countries can't afford much U.S. beef, but there is a large
market for pork variety meats in Latin American nations.
|
