WT/REG422/M/1  
 
12 December  2023 
(23-8510) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements  
Hundred and Eighth  Session  Original: English  
 
  
ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CENTRAL AMERICA 
(COSTA RICA, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, NICARAGUA AND PANAMA) , 
(GOODS  AND SERVICES ) 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 20 NOVEMBER  2023 
Chair: Ambassador H.E. Ms. Clare KELLY (New Zealand)  
1.1.  The 10 8th Session of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (hereinafter "CRTA" or the 
"Committee") was convened in Airgram WTO/AIR/RTA/3 4/Rev. 1 dated 10 November  2023.  
1.2.  Under Agenda Item I.I, the CRTA considered the Association Agre ement between the United 
Kingdom and Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and 
Panama) , goods and services , (hereinafter "the Agreement " or "UK-CAAA"). The Chair  stated that 
the Factual Presentation had been prepared by the Secretariat on its own responsibility in full 
consultation with the Parties, in accordance with paragraph 7(b) of the Transparency Mechanism for 
Regional Trade Agreements (document WT/L/671).  
1.3.  The Agreement  had entered into force on 1 Januar y 2021 for all the Parties. It had been  notified 
to the WTO by the Parties on 31 December 2020 under Articles  XXIV:7(a) of the GATT  1994 and 
Article  V:7(a) of the GATS as an "agreement establish ing a free trade area for trade in goods, within 
the meaning o f Article XXIV of the GATT 1994, and for trade in services, within the meaning of 
Article V of the GATS " (documents WT/REG422/N/1 and S/C/N/1026 respectively).  The text of the 
Agreement, together with its Annexes, was available on the Parties' official web sites and in the WTO 
RTA database.  The Factual Presentation, document  WT/REG422/1, and questions and replies, 
document WT/REG422/2, had been distributed.  
1.4.  The representative of the United Kingdom , speaking also on behalf of the Central American 
Parties  thanked the delegation s of Central America for their important contributions in drafting and 
agreeing th e statement.  The UK -CAAA had been in effect since 1 January 2021.  It established a 
political and economic association between the UK and the six Central American countries. The 
Agreement  reproduce d the effects of the EU -Central America Agreement as closely as possible, 
including the establishment of institutional arrangements between the UK and Central America that 
allowed for the ongoing management of the  Agreement.  The United Kingdom and Central America  
had been longstanding partners with a shared interest in growing trade and investment and 
spreading the benefits of economic growth. His delegation looked forward to their relationship 
continuing to flouri sh under the Agreement .  
1.5.  The recent Ministerial Council under the trade pillar of the Agreement  had been  a very fruitful 
meeting, with trade ministers from all Parties gathering in London to discuss implementation of the 
Agreement and how the Parties could use it to drive increased trade and investment.  Officials would  
build on th at positive meeting and ensure that the Agreement support ed businesses in creating the 
economic opportunities that more trade and investment c ould offer their citizens.  
1.6.  Many of the  general changes to the EU -Central America Agreement  had been  applied mutatis 
mutandis , that  was with the technical changes necessary to apply the Agreement as if it had been 
concluded between the UK and Central America in the first instance.  Where more substantive 
amendments had been  required to ensure operability, or where the UK and the Central American 
countries had jointly agreed that mutatis mutandis  would not deliver, taking into account the nature WT/REG422/M/1  
 
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  of the Agreement, adequate certainty ov er rights and obligations  and detailed amendments ha d 
been included in the Annex to the UK -CAAA . 
1.7.  The Agreement ha d ten Articles and one Annex. It nevertheless incorporate d by reference, in 
Article  3, the provisions of the EU -Central America Agreement which form ed part of the Agreement, 
mutatis mutandis . Modifications to the incorporated EU -Central America Agreement  were in the 
Annex to the Agreement. The Agreement  had also been complemented by six new Joint Declarations.  
Trade provisions cover ed inter alia  goods, services, government procurement, intellectual property, 
competition and dispute settlement. It also ha d provisions on trade and sustainable development, 
highlighti ng the Parties'  shared objective of encouraging high levels of environmental and labour 
protection.   
1.8.  Under incorporated Article 295, the Parties had agree d to facilitate a bi -regional Civil Society 
Dialogue Forum for open dialogue between the governmental sector and civil society, with balanced 
representation by environmental, economic and social stakeholders.  The Parties had agree d to 
eliminate any requirement for the mandatory use of pre -shipment inspections or their equivalent , 
as in incorporated Article  118. 
1.9.  Most of the institutional provisions and bodies provided for in the EU -Central America 
Agreement and most of its Decisions  had been  incorporated and retained mutatis mutandis , although 
some modifications ha d been made to its composition and function to ensure they  were operable in 
virtue of the nature of the Agreement. The implementation of the Agreement ha d been effective and 
focussed and in autumn the UK had hosted the first UK -CA Association Council.  The Parties had 
agreed to move forward with work  on some outstanding technical files, including agreeing new rules 
of procedure.  
1.10.   The Parties had been  working together to ensure that all their institutional mechanisms 
reflect ed their joint desire to support business growth and development. They wanted all their 
citizens to benefit from increased free and fair trade.  As their Ministers  had a greed in October , that 
mean t focusing on identifying and reducing barriers to trade, simplifying bureaucracy and seeking 
long-term improvements in trading conditions that w ould stimulate the free flow of goods and 
services through the Agreement and contribute to sustainable development.  The Parties looked 
forward to continuing to deepen their trade re lationships through effective implementation of th e 
Agreement and working together to help business and enterprise to flourish for the benefit of their 
economies and their people.  
1.11.   The representative of the European Union  thanked the UK and the six Central American Parties 
to the Agreement for the presentation, and  wished them all success in continuing the implement ation 
of the Agreement . 
1.12.   The Chair  noted the consideration of the Association Agreement between the United  Kingdom  
and Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama),  goods 
and services had allowed the Committee to clarify a number of questions and conclude oral 
discussion of th e RTA in accordance with paragraph 11 of the Transpar ency Mechanism . Any 
delegations wish ing to ask follow -up questions were invited to forward submissions in writing to the 
Secretariat by 27 November  2023 and the Parties were asked to submit replies in writing by no later 
than 11 December 2023. In accordanc e with paragraph  13 of the Transparency Mechanism all written 
submissions, as well as minutes of this meeting w ould be circulated promptly, in all WTO  official 
languages, and w ould be made available on the WTO database on RTAs.  
1.13.   The Committee took note  of the comments made.  
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