Canada accused Colombia of failing to implement a duty free system agreed upon between the two countries. According to a report by Colombian financial newspaper Portafolio, Canadian trade officials complained that their Colombian counterparts failed to issue duty-free-licenses to Canadian exporters for 2011. As a result more than 14,000 tons of imported Canadian beef, pork, and beans were subject to tariffs in the last year. The licenses were part of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries, which went into effect last year.
Canadian officials found fault with the Colombian Customs Office and said 2011’s un-issued duty-free-licenses should be added to the 2012 licenses. Former Colombian trade official Ricardo Duarte said rolling over the licenses was not possible. According to Duarte, FTA rules prohibit license accumulation to avoid hurting domestic economies. Read more here.
