OAS

 
Colombia-Northern Triangle
  Background and Negotiations
   

In the late 1990s the Andean Community undertook steps to enhance trade relations with the Central American countries.

Colombia and the Northern Triangle countries -- El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras -- initiated negotiations towards a free trade agreement in June 2006. The framework and timing, set out in a document regarding negotiations between Colombia and Guatemala, states that there should be six negotiating rounds and that the negotiations should conclude within a year.

The negotiations were concluded on 16 March 2007 after six rounds of negotiations and two meetings of the working groups on market access. On 9 August 2007 Colombia and El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras signed the agreement.

Documents relating to the negotiations
09 August 2007 Medellin, Colombia. Colombia and the Northern Triangle countries sign FTA Spanish PDF 
16 March 2007 Sonsonate, El Salvador. Colombia-Northern Triangle FTA negotiations ended Spanish PDF
19-23 February 2007 Medellin, Colombia. Meeting to continue Colombia-Northern Triangle FTA negotiations Spanish PDF
08 December 2006 Antigua, Guatemala. Round 6 of Colombia-Northern Triangle FTA negotiations Spanish PDF
03 November 2006 San Salvador, El Salvador. Round 5 of Colombia-Northern Triangle FTA negotiations Spanish PDF
22-29 September 2006 Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Round 4 of Colombia-Northern Triangle FTA negotiations Spanish PDF
11 September 2006

Colombia: Nonconforming measures, services and investment

  • Annex I Spanish PDF
  • Annex 2 Spanish PDF
  • Annex 3 Spanish PDF
30 August 2006

Colombia: interests in the negotiations:

  • Government Procurement Spanish PDF
  • Investment Spanish PDF
  • Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Spanish PDF
  • Rules of Origin Spanish PDF
  • Technical Barriers to Trade Spanish PDF
  • Institutional Aspects Spanish PDF
  • Trade Facilitation Spanish PDF
  • Agriculture Spanish PDF
  • Services Spanish PDF
  • Non-agricultural Market Access Spanish PDF
  • Trade Defense Measures Spanish PDF
18 August 2006 Medellín, Colombia. Round 3 of Colombia-Northern Triangle FTA negotiations Spanish PDF
11-14 July 2006 Guatemala City, Guatemala. Round 2 of Colombia-Northern Triangle FTA negotiations Spanish PDF
05 June 2006 Colombia and Guatemala sign Investment promotion and protection agreement Spanish PDF
05-09 June 2006 Bogotá, Colombia. Round 1 of Colombia-Northern Triangle FTA negotiations Spanish PDF
June 2006 General Framework for a free trade agreement between Guatemala and Colombia Spanish PDF
Source: Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo, República de Colombia; Ministerio de Economía de El Salvador

  Entry into Force
   

The Government of Colombia forwarded the agreement to the Senate on 20 February 2008. The Colombian Senate and House Commissions and the Colombia House of Representatives approved the agreement on 7 May 2008 and 4 June 2008 respectively.

El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly approved the free trade agreement on 21 August 2008. Meanwhile, the Congress of Guatemala ratified the FTA by Decree 32-2009.

On 13 November 2009, the free trade agreement between Colombia and Guatemala entered into force.

The Free Trade Agreement between Colombia and El Salvador entered into force on 01 February 2010.

On 27 March 2010, the Free Trade Agreement between Colombia and Honduras entered into force on 27 March 2010.

Documents relating to the entry into force
27 March 2010 The FTA between Colombia and Honduras entered into force Spanish pdf 
01 February 2010 The FTA between Colombia and El Salvador entered into force Spanish PDF 
13 November 2009 The FTA between Colombia and Guatemala entered into force Spanish PDF 
September 2009 Guatemala's Congress ratifies FTA Spanish PDF 
21 August 2008 El Salvador's Legislative Assembly approves FTA Spanish PDF 
04 June 2008 Colombian House of Representatives approves FTA Spanish PDF
07 May 2008 Colombian Senate and House Commissions approve FTA Spanish PDF
20 February 2008 Colombia forwards text of the agreement to the Senate Spanish PDF
Source: Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo, República de Colombia

  Implementation of the Agreement
   

Article 17.1 of the agreement establishes the Administrative Commission comprised by ministerial-level representatives of the Parties to oversee the implementation and operation of the agreement.

Three meetings of the Administrative Commission of the Colombia-Northern Triangle FTA have taken place since the entry into force of the agreement. During the third one, held in August 2015, the parties made progress towards an expanded free trade agreement.

On November 5, 2018, Colombia and Guatemala widened their FTA to include products from the textile and clothing sector. The Modifying Protocol for the creation of the Bilateral Input Integration Committee and the Administrative Cooperation Agreement on the Verification of Origin of the Northern Triangle of Central America and Colombia with the European Union were also signed.

Documents relating to the FTA Administrative Commission 
05 November 2018 Guatemala City, Guatemala. Colombia and Guatemala widen their FTA
02 November 2018 Decision Nº 16 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
27 August 2015 Bogota, Colombia. Third meeting of the Administrative  Commission of the Colombia-Northern Triangle FTA: countries make progress towards an expanded free trade agreement:
26 August 2015 Decision Nº 15 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
26 August 2015 Decision Nº 14 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
12 February 2015 Decision Nº 13 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
28 July 2011 Decision Nº 12 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
28 July 2011 Decision Nº 11 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
28 July 2011 Decision Nº 10 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
28 July 2011 Decision Nº 9 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
28 July 2011 Decision Nº 8 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
28 July 2011 Decision Nº 7 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
28 July 2011 Decision Nº 6 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
28 July 2011 San Salvador, El Salvador . Second meeting of the Administrative Commission of the Colombia-Northern Triangle FTA
23 July 2010 Decision Nº 5 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
23 July 2010 Decision Nº 4 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
23 July 2010 Decision Nº 3 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
23 July 2010 Decision Nº 2 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
23 July 2010 Decision Nº 1 of the Administrative Commission Spanish PDF 
22-23 July 2010 Guatemala City, Guatemala. First meeting of the Administrative  Commission of the Colombia-Northern Triangle FTA
Source: Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo, República de Colombia; Ministerio de Economía de El Salvador, Ministerio de Economía, Guatemala
 
  Related Articles and Studies
 
October 2015 Ministerio de Economía, Guatemala. Evaluación de las relaciones comerciales entre Guatemala y Colombia Spanish PDF New
October 2014 Ministerio de Economía, Guatemala. Evaluación de las relaciones comerciales entre Guatemala y Colombia Spanish PDF
October 2013 Ministerio de Economía, Guatemala. Evaluación de las relaciones comerciales entre Guatemala y Colombia Spanish PDF
  Sources
   
 

Spanish version 
Recent Developments
  05 November 2018. Colombia and Guatemala widen their FTA new!

Contents
 
   
Related Pages
  Andean countries - Central America