Canada, Costa Rica Look At Improving FTA

Negotiations have begun between Canada and Costa Rica on the proposed modernization of their existing free trade agreement (FTA), it has been announced.

The first round of talks began on November 8 in Ottawa and are set to conclude on November 10, the Canadian government has said. The current FTA entered into force in 2002, and focuses largely on trade in goods. It is hoped that an expanded treaty will deepen market access in services and government procurement. It will also be improved to cover e-commerce, telecommunications, investment and technical barriers to trade.