The countries of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua - signed an Economic Complementation Agreement with Taiwan on 13 September 1997.
The objective of the agreement was to expand cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, transfer of technology
and in the financial sector; and to develop a Plan of Action that would allow them to determine the existence of
conditions necessary to start negotiations for a free trade agreement. A joint declaration issued at the IV meeting
of Heads of State and Government of Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and
Nicaragua, Panama and Taiwan, in Taipei on 21 August 2003, reiterated the willingess of these parties to initiate
free trade talks at an opportune time.
During a visit paid by the vice president of Guatemala to Taiwan in March 2003, representatives from both
sides agreed to start negotiations towards a free trade agreement, with the text of the Taiwan-Panama agreement
as a basis. Negotiations were carried out in four rounds. The first round took place in Taipei from 1-4 March
2005; the second round was held in Guatemala from 25-29 April of that same year; the third round took place
from 6-10 June Los Angeles, USA. The fourth and last round took place in Guatemala City in July 2005. The
Guatemala-Taiwan free trade agreement was signed on 22 September 2005.
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Documents relating to the negotiations |
| 22 September 2005 |
Guatemala and Taiwan sign free trade agreement   |
| 12 August 2005 |
Guatemala and Taiwan conclude FTA negotiations |
| 31 July 2005 |
Guatemala CIty, Guatemala. Fourth round of Guatemala-Taiwan FTA negotiations |
| 06-10 June 2005 |
Los Angeles, USA. Third round of Guatemala-Taiwan FTA negotiations |
| 25 April 2005 |
Guatemala City, Guatemala. Second round of Guatemala-Taiwan FTA negotiations |
| 04 March 2005 |
Taipei. First round of Guatemala-Taiwan negotiations |
| 16 December 2004 |
Guatemala and Taiwan to initiate negotiations toward a free trade agreement |
| 21 August 2003 |
Joint Communiqué of the IV meeting of Heads of State and Government of the Central American Isthmus and the Dominican Republic and Taiwan |
| 13 September 1997 |
Economic Complementation Agreement between the Republics of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Republic of China |
| Source: Government Information Office, Republic of China (Taiwan); Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Guatemala; Oficina del Consejero de Prensa de la Embajada de la República de China en Guatemala |
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