Penultimate CAFTA Bill Clears Legislative Assembly

Lawmakers have passed the 12th of 13 bills required to implement the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA).

The bill, a series of amendments, will allow Costa Rica to enter into CAFTA 90 days earlier than the treaty now allows. It also changes rules of origin for two items of clothing: pockets and swimsuits for women who have had mastectomies.

For pants to cross borders tariff-free, the pocket must now come from another CAFTA country – Guatemala, El Salvador,  Honduras, Nicaragua, the United States or the Dominican Republic.

Swimsuits are now tariff-free no matter where their fabric comes from, said María Quince, director of the Costa Rican Textile Chamber, who rooted for the bill.