Economics & Trade

The Economic Section does the following:

• negotiates trade and investment agreements that promote free trade;
• analyzes and reports on macroeconomic trends and trade policies and their potential impact on U.S. interests;
• promotes adoption of economic policies by foreign countries, which further U.S. interests; and

• informs U.S. businesses on the local investment climate and economic trends.

Issues in Focus

1. CAFTA-DR (Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement) 
2. Fiscal Reform
3. Doha Round 
4. FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas)
5. Summit of Americas(SOA)
6. Intellectual Property Rights(IPR)
7. Biotechnology
8. Sustainable Development

Sectorial Links

Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR)

The following countries signed CAFTA-DR in 2004 to be used as a tool to increase the economic development of, reduce the level of poverty in, and support democratic principles in the Central American countries and the Dominican Republic:

• Costa Rica 
• The Dominican Republic 
• El Salvador
• Guatemala 
• Nicaragua 
• The United States

Below are selected links that provide more information on CAFTA-DR and its current status:

The U.S. Government on CAFTA

New Developments

• U.S. Increases Support for Labor, Environment in Central America
  (Versión en español)

View from the White House:

• Promoting Trade With Central America And The Dominican Republic
• Rob Portman hosts Ask the White House

USTR: Summaries and Information:

• USTR - Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement
• USTR - CAFTA Briefing Book

State Department: 

• Central America Free Trade Agreement-Dominican Republic

Department of Agriculture CAFTA Link:

• United States-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement

Department of Commerce CAFTA Link:

• Cafta Home
• U.S. Commercial Service Costa Rica: U.S. - Central American Free Trade Agreement CAFTA

Congressional Research Service

• CRS Report on CAFTA

Congress on CAFTA

Senate Hearings

• To consider favorably reporting S. 1307, the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, and S. J. Res. 18, a joint resolution approving the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003
• To review and make recommendations on proposed legislation implementing the U.S.-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement
• The U.S. - Central America - Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement April 13, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. in 628 Dirksen Senate Office Building
• Hearings of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee - U.S. Senate

House of Representatives Hearings

• The Committee on Energy and Commerce
• Committee on Ways and Means Markup of H.R. 3045, the "Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act"

Implementing Legislation

Senate:

• A bill to implement the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement.

House:

To implement the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement

Costa Rican Legislative Assembly:

Bills by committee to implement the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement 

Others on CAFTA:

• Inter-American Development Bank Language=English
• World Bank
• Organization of American States (OAS)
• The Business Coalition for CAFTA
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Business Roundtable
• Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America
• Hispanic Alliance for Free Trade
• National Association of Manufacturers
• American Farm Bureau
• Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX)
• Central America: Global Integration and Regional Cooperation 
  

Background on DR-CAFTA

Doha Round

• Supporting the Doha Development Round - pdf document
• OECD Governments Gave € 225 Billion in Support to Farmers in 2005
• Trade Facts - pdf document
• World Trade Organization (WTO): Doha Round 

Trade, Commerce, & Finance

• Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX)(in Spanish)
• U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
• Costa Rican Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce(in Spanish)
• U.S. Department of Commerce
• Costa Rican Ministry of Finance(in Spanish)
• U.S. Department of Treasury
• Costa Rican Central Bank(in Spanish)
• U.S. Federal Reserve Bank

Telecommunications, Transportation, & Tourism

• Costa Rica Institute of Electricity (ICE) (in Spanish)
• U.S. Federal Communications Commission
• Costa Rican Ministry of Public Work and Transportation (in Spanish)
• U.S. Department of Transportation
• Costa Rican Directorate General of Civil Aviation(in Spanish)
• International Organization for Central American Integration (Civil Aviation) (in Spanish)
• FAA (U.S. Federal Aviation Administration)
• U.S. Transportation Security Administration
• Costa Rica Tourism Board
• U.S. Department of State Travel Information

Energy & Environment

• Costa Rican Ministry of Environment and Energy (In Spanish)
• U.S. Department of Energy
• Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) (In Spanish)
• Costa Rican Refinery of Petroleum (in Spanish)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• U.S. Department of Interior
• OES (Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs)

Agriculture, Fisheries, & Labor

• Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (in Spanish)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries (in Spanish)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce
• Costa Rican Ministry of Employment and Social Security (in Spanish)
• U.S. Department of Labor

Development & Planning

• Costa Rican Ministry of National Planning and Economic Politics (in Spanish)
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Social Services

• Costa Rican Ministry of Health (in Spanish)

• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

• Costa Rican National Institute of Insurance (in Spanish)

• Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education (in Spanish)

• U.S. Department of Education

Other U.S. Government Links

• White House
• U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO)
• Office of Management & Budget (OMB)
• The Federal Register
• U.S. Government Export Portal
• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
• U.S. International Revenue Service (IRS)
• Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM)
• U.S. Customs
• U.S. International Trade Commission
• World Fact Book

Other Useful Costa Rican Government Links

• General Accounting of the Republic
• Official Gazette
• Presidential House
• San Jose Country Council - Overseas Security Advisory Council 

International Economic Organizations

• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
• World Bank
• International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• World Trade Organization (WTO)
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)
• United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
• World Tourism Organization
• International Trade Centre

Costa Rica’s Current Business Climate 

• Country Commercial Guide on Costa Rica: Updated 1/13/06 - pdf document 
• Human Development Index
• Interactive Tariff and Trade DataWeb
• Economic Indicators - pdf document
• 2006 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers
• Millennium Development Goal Indicators
• Business Rankings by the World Bank
• Transparency International's Corruption Transparency Index for Costa Rica.

Publications

• U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Economic Policy and Trade Practices
• Inter-American Development Bank: Country Reports
• Country Commercial Guides
• Freedom of Information Act Requesting U.S. Government Declassified Documents