11 October 2005
Ecuador Ecuador accepts to lower its demands on US tuna duty gradually said Minister Illingwort. He said that, to ease this matter, the Ecuadorian negotiators requested that tuna obtain an open rule of origin, similar to the one obtained by the Central American countries with the U.S. in the Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
In return, Ecuador would accept that these exports enter a process to gradually lower the duty within 10 years-time, starting from the current tariff of 35%.
The tuna issue was not dealt in an official manner during the meeting on Ruls of Origin which took place late last month.
