Common
External Tariff Agreement
Andean Community position
strengthened in its relations with
third countries
Lima, April 14, 2003
With the conclusion of a Common
External Tariff agreement that
will make it possible to jointly
notify the FTAA of a large
percentage of intracommunity trade,
the Andean countries this Monday
completed an important stage of
their integration process.
Andean Community Secretary
General, Guillermo Fernández de
Soto, pointed out that “by
completing the negotiation of the
basic tariff they will submit to
the FTAA for its consideration,
the Andean countries have
reinforced their spirit of
integration and consolidated their
common identity in negotiating
with third parties.”
The Commission entrusted the
Andean Community General
Secretariat with drawing up a
draft industrial complementarity
agreement that would offer a
comprehensive solution to the
problem of the oil seed chain.
This constitutes a major step
toward removing the trade
distortions in a sector of
strategic importance to the
subregion’s businessmen.
In
pointing up the results of this
meeting, the Andean Community
Secretary General referred to the
agreement on the CET as a
definitive and necessary move
forward in the CAN’s negotiations
with third parties in the context
of globalization and open
integration.
