DR CAFTA
DR-CAFTA ( English Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement , Spanish Tratado de Libre Comercio entre Estados Unidos, Centroamérica y República Dominicana ) is a free trade agreement between the United States , Costa Rica , the Dominican Republic , El Salvador , Guatemala , and Honduras Nicaragua . Since the Dominican Republic joined in 2004, the free trade agreement has been officially called DR-CAFTA (Dominican Republic - Central American Free Trade Agreement).
The signing of the agreement sparked massive protests in numerous countries in Central America, but also in the United States. The ratification by the US House of Representatives on July 27, 2005 was achieved with 217 to 215 votes and with the help of rules of procedure tricks . While some trade associations in the USA see national jobs at risk in the agreement, Central American companies fear v. a. the superior economic competition of the US economy. The Central American agricultural sector, especially in the smallholder sector, fears the subsidized US imports and the obligation to purchase genetically modified seeds and pesticides developed for them from US companies. Other points of criticism from various NGOs are the extended investor rights, possible negative consequences for food safety and the permanent fixation e.g. Sometimes very low labor and environmental standards in individual countries under the guise of recognition of national legislation.
The DR-CAFTA agreement is seen as a further step to gradually implement the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas), which has failed in negotiations and which is to include the USA, Canada and 34 countries in Latin America (with the exception of Cuba). DR-CAFTA is supposed to guarantee US companies unrestricted access to the market in these Central American countries. The Central American countries must have removed all import barriers for US products and services by 2015. The elimination of import restrictions makes it easier for private companies to B. offer community services or school programs, accredit educational services, distribute sports betting, health services or financial market products, access to the Central American and Dominican markets. But especially the import regulation, v. a. Customs duties or quotas for employing foreign skilled workers have been important instruments in many Central American countries to protect economic and social development in their own country.
Web links
- Sebastian Huhn and Torge Löding: Central America: Social conflict around CAFTA and its consequences (PDF; 437 kB) - GIGA Focus Latin America
- Yes to free trade with the USA - Neue Zürcher Zeitung
- Torge Löding: Hard bandages in the CAFTA dispute - In Costa Rica, the dispute over the free trade agreement is a test for democracy ( Telepolis )
- Torge Löding: Showdown against the CAFTA free trade agreement - 100,000 take to the streets against CAFTA in Costa Rica ( Telepolis )
- Sebastian Huhn and Torge Löding: Central America: Social conflict around CAFTA and its consequences (PDF file; 427 kB)