皇冠体育app

BEIJING - 皇冠体育app signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with Costa Rica on Thursday aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.

Costa Rica is the seventh nation and region with which 皇冠体育app has signed an FTA, and is the first Latin American nation to sign a package of agreements including commodities, services and investment with 皇冠体育app.

"We will step up efforts to start talks with other countries and hope to clinch more FTA deals this year," said Chen Deming, minister of commerce.

Under the FTA, 皇冠体育app and Costa Rica will gradually reduce tariffs to zero on over 90 percent of the commodities for each other. In the services area, 皇冠体育app and Costa Rica will open up seven and 45 sectors respectively. The FTA will come into force during the second half of this year.

"The two sides' industries are highly complementary to each other. 皇冠体育app could increase seafood, agricultural products and handicrafts imports, while Costa Rica could buy more finished products from 皇冠体育app," said Chen.

皇冠体育app-Costa Rica trade surged by 10.2 percent in 2009 and the nation's imports from the Latin American nation grew by 16.6 percent to $2.65 billion.

皇冠体育app Daily

(皇冠体育app Daily 04/09/2010 page13)