bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

CAFTA

Over 200 organizations denounce multimillion dollar suit brought by US mining firm against Guatemala
25-Apr-2019 YubaNet
The company filed the suit in December 2018 for alleged violations of the Central America–Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).
The battle for Latin America: How the US helped destroy the “pink tide”
23-Apr-2019 Counter Punch
After sponsoring juntas until well into the 1990s, the US went after Central and South America with “free trade” deals before once again working with extremists.
The “push” factor: Central American farmers, free trade, and migration
18-Apr-2019 New Security Beat
Landless, subsistence, and small-scale farmers bear the brunt of the influx of competitive crops and price shocks that came with trade liberalization through CAFTA.
After NAFTA fight, Trump threatens another trade battle with Central America
9-Jan-2019 McClatchy
Now that the Trump administration has revamped the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is taking a look at kicking key countries out of its sister pact, the Central American Free Trade Agreement.
Costa Rica wins case against investors’ beach front property
21-Sep-2018 TeleSur
ICSID tribunal rules Costa Rica was in its right to stop a tourist construction project on the Pacific coast that violated environmental laws.
Miner planning US$300mn Guatemala arbitration
24-May-2018 BN Americas
Exmingua is planning to launch arbitration proceedings against Guatemala following the suspension of its Tambor gold project.
USDA trade undersecretary bullish on Central America
5-Mar-2018 Feedstuffs
Trade mission to Guatemala yields fruitful meetings with conservative estimates of $30 million in new sales.
Washington may draw a bull’s-eye on Central American trade pact
16-Feb-2018 Stratfor
US trade negotiators could move to renegotiate aspects of the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement by 2019.
Being a trade unionist in Guatemala will get you killed
19-Oct-2017 Upside Down World
A chapter on labor issues within CAFTA was to provide an improved environment for labor rights. But the Guatemalan state has consistently failed to implement these protections.
US wants to update Latin America pacts next after NAFTA
5-Oct-2017 Just Style
Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer pointed to the need to modernise agreements with Peru, Colombia, Panama and Chile, as well as the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
U.S. trade policy fails workers
6-Jul-2017 AFL-CIO
This decision drives home the fact that U.S. trade deals do not protect workers. In truth, this failure is by design—labor chapters were not meant to work efficiently or effectively.
After nine years, arbitrators bounce AFL-CIO complaint on Guatemala labor conditions
3-Jul-2017 People’s World
“The panel’s decision flies in the face of common sense. Guatemala’s failure to protect its workers and enforce its own laws is apparent to nearly everyone except the arbitrators.”
Guatemala off the hook in CAFTA labor case
28-Jun-2017 Politico
The U.S., for the most part, lost its first challenge of another country’s adherence to the labor rules under a trade deal.
El Salvador freezes OceanaGold bank accounts, assets over $8 mln payment
19-Apr-2017 Reuters
El Salvador froze bank accounts and assets belonging to OceanaGold Corp after the mining company refused to pay the country $8 million as mandated by an international court.
Guatemala agrees to early poultry tariff elimination
3-Apr-2017 Politico
Guatemala has agreed to eliminate its 12.5 percent tariff on U.S. fresh, frozen and chilled poultry products under the U.S.-DR-CAFTA free trade agreement
What will the Trump presidency mean for Latin America?
17-Nov-2016 In Homeland Security
There has been no overarching ‘Latin America’ policy under the outgoing administration. This overall situation will largely remain the same under the Trump administration.
Latin American nations set import records for U.S. corn
7-Nov-2016 Crop Protection News
The U.S. Grains Council recently announced new grain import records set by Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Free trade’s chilling effects
17-Oct-2016 Taylor & Francis
The TPP threatens to extend the most draconian feature of the contemporary free trade model: private corporation’s ability to sue sovereign nations.
Free Trade Agreements have exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in Central America
4-Jul-2016 Institute for Policy Studies
Proposals like the Alliance for Prosperity Plan and the Trans-Pacific Partnership will only accelerate a race to the bottom for families in the Northern triangle of Latin America.
Agro, agribusiness, free trade pact’s big winners
1-Jul-2016 Dominican Today
The agro and agribusiness sectors have profited the most from the US-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) during the 10 years since it took effect.