Free Trade Agreement de Colombia - EFTA

Free Trade Agreements of Colombia

Course summary Free Trade Agreement de Colombia - EFTA:

The Colombia-EFTA FTA entered into force for Colombia, Liechtenstein and Switzerland on 01 July 2011.

The Free Trade Agreement covers a broad range of areas including trade in goods (both agriculture and industrial goods), investment, trade in services, intellectual property rights, government procurement, competition and cooperation. Bilateral arrangements on agricultural products between the individual EFTA States and Colombia also form part of the instruments establishing the free-trade area between both sides.

In addition, bilateral arrangements on agricultural products between three individual EFTA States and Colombia form part of the instruments establishing the free trade area between both sides.

The objectives of the Colombia - European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Free Trade Agreement are:
(a) to achieve the liberalisation of trade in goods, in conformity with Article XXIV of the GATT 1994;
(b) to achieve the liberalisation of trade in services, in conformity with Article V of the GATS;
(c) to substantially increase investment opportunities in the free trade area;
(d) to achieve further liberalisation on a mutual basis of the government procurement markets of the Parties;
(e) to promote competition in their economies, particularly as it relates to economic relations between the Parties;
(f) to ensure adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights;
(g) to contribute, by the removal of barriers to trade and investment, to the harmonious development and expansion of world trade; and,
(h) to ensure co-operation related to trade capacity building, in order to expand and improve the benefits of this Agreement, specially for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The main Agreement consists of a total of 145 Articles and 20 annexes covering the following issues
- Trade in Goods
- Services
- Investment
- Intellectual Property Rights
- Government Procurement
- Competition
- Co-operation
- Administration and Dispute Settlement

In 2010, two-way trade between EFTA and Colombia was valued at USD 525 million, and between EFTA and Peru at USD 392 million. The EFTA States’ top imports from Colombia in 2007 were precious stones and metals, coffee, tea, spices, fruits and nuts.

Example of the course Free Trade Agreement de Colombia - EFTA:

SOURCE: EFTA Secretariat

Free Trade Agreement de Colombia - EFTA /AELC (Spanish):

 Educational level: Continuing education / Executive education programs.