British Embassy Costa Rica provides training for customs officials on UK-Central America Association Agreement

In mid-November, the British Embassy and the Department for International Trade (DIT) in Costa Rica, with the support of Deloitte Costa Rica and the Ministry of Finance, delivered a series of technical workshops for close to 90 customs officials to prepare them for the implementation process of the Association Agreement between the United Kingdom and Central America.

The UK-Central America Association Agreement (UK-CAAA), which is scheduled to come into effect on 1 January 2021, will ensure the continuity of exports and imports between the United Kingdom and the countries of Central America – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama – once the UK has finalised its departure from the European Union.

The Director for DIT Costa Rica, Luisa Pastor, explained the importance of the agreement, stating that:

The UK-CAAA guarantees, among other things, that Costa Rican products will continue to be distributed in the UK. Similarly, it ensures that British products that are in high demand in the Costa Rican market, like whisky, continue to be consumed, without price variations, thereby benefitting everyone.

Ms. Pastor thanked the government officials who were instrumental in helping make the workshop a reality, underscoring that:

Their willingness is a reflection of the support that we have received from the central government and the Legislative Assembly, who have always championed the signature and later ratification of the agreement.

Costa Rica ratified the UK-Central America Agreement in October 2019. The Customs Department will play a fundamental role in ensuring the success of the agreement’s implementation in 2021.