USTR Releases Draft Text of CAFTA with the Dominican Republic
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has posted to its Web site the draft text of the U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with the Dominican Republic.
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(The USTR has previously stated that with its integration into CAFTA, the Dominican Republic has assumed the same set of obligations and commitments as Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua (the "CAFTA countries"). The USTR also stated that, as with these countries, individual market access schedules were negotiated with the Dominican Republic for goods, agriculture, services, investment, and government procurement.)
Draft Text Posted to Web Site Contains 18 Sections
The draft text of the CAFTA with the Dominican Republic, which the USTR states is subject to legal review for accuracy, clarity, and consistency, contains 18 sections.
These sections include: certain CAFTA annexes on tariff elimination and agriculture safeguard measures; U.S. and Dominican Republic general notes; U.S. and Dominican Republic tariff schedules; certain U.S. and Dominican Republic tariff-rate quota (TRQ) annexes; certain side letters; etc.
In addition, the USTR indicates that a section on Dominican Republic-specific textile provisions is not yet available but is coming soon.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 03/31/04 news, 04033105, for BP summary of the President's notification to Congress of his intent to sign CAFTA with the Dominican Republic. See ITT's Online Archives or 03/18/04 news, 04031815, for BP summary on the conclusion of negotiations to integrate the Dominican Republic into CAFTA, which includes highlights of the provisions.)
Draft text of CAFTA with Dominican Republic (dated 04/09/04) available at http://www.ustr.gov/new/fta/Dr/texts.htm
USTR fact sheet (dated 03/15/04) available at http://www.ustr.gov/new/fta/Dr/2004-03-15-factsheet.pdf