Press Release from the III Negotiation Meeting on the CAN-Brazil Fixed Tariff Preferences Agreement

Lima, Jun 4, 1999. Representatives of the Governments of the Andean Community Member Countries and of the Government of Brazil met in Lima from June 1 to 4, 1999 to continue their negotiation of a Fixed Tariff Preferences Agreement.

The Andean Community Delegation was coordinated by the Doctor Eduardo Brandes Salazar, National Director for Integration and International Trade Negotiations of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Integration and International Trade Negotiations.

The Brazilian Delegation, for its part, was coordinated by Minister José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho, Director General of the Latin American Integration Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Delegations carefully reviewed the entire list of pending products and made substantial progress in this negotiating round. To date, preliminary agreements have been reached on approximately 2,540 sub-items, or about 85% of the products being negotiated.

The two Delegations also exchanged viewpoints with regard to the Specific -Requirements of Origin for the Textile and Garments Sector and made important advances in defining them.

Progress was made with regard to the Special List for Ecuador, and Brazil reiterated its willingness to continue making an effort to deal with Ecuador's remaining requests.

At the same time, the Delegations reached an agreement on most of the legislative text of the Agreement to be signed.

At the close of the meeting, the Delegations agreed to hold their next round from June 21 to 25 in Brasilia in order to bring the negotiation of the Agreement to a conclusion.