Dominican Republic may have ‘missed its opportunity’ to trade with Canada
Dominican Today, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic may have ‘missed its opportunity’ to trade with Canada
29 June 2006
Santo Domingo.- Dominican ambassador in Canada said he hopes that his country can join a multilateral trade deal with Canada similar to the one it already has with the U.S., but he worries that the Dominican Republic may have missed its opportunity.
Some years after proposals for a free trade agreement between the Dominican Republic and Canada fell through, Dominican officials are lobbying to be included in a controversial Canada-Central American free trade agreement.
Negotiations are likely to resume this summer.
"If we are not approved in the very near future, [this] will hurt Dominican businesses and Canadian businesses because we will be in limbo," according to Dominican Ambassador Eduardo Tejera.
In recent months, Canada’s new Tory government has indicated its desire to resume work on the Central America Four Free Trade Agreement (CA4) that would include Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras.
The Caribbean nation has appealed to Canadian authorities, and is working to build support from the four Central American countries already involved in the negotiations, with positive results, Mr. Tejera says.
"They have been very responsive," said Tejera, who added that, having covered 80 per cent of the agreement, "We need to assure them that, if we are included, we will not delay the process."
