Backgrounder

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

---

Canada-Honduras free trade agreement

August 12, 2011
San Pedro Sula, Honduras

The Government of Canada is committed to an ambitious free trade and investment agenda that will create new opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, along with the President of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo, announced the conclusion of negotiations toward a Canada-Honduras free trade agreement.

Canada and Honduras agreed to pursue bilateral negotiations in October 2010, following almost nine years of talks between Canada and the Central America Four countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Canadian and Honduran officials met in Ottawa in December 2010, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in February 2011, and again in Ottawa in July 2011 to advance discussions.

Honduras offers promising opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers. In 2010, two-way merchandise trade between Canada and Honduras totalled $192 million. Canadian exports to Honduras totalled $40.8 million and consisted mainly of fertilizers, machinery and dye. Canadian merchandise imports from Honduras totalled $151.2 million, consisting mainly of fruits, and knit and woven apparel.

According to Statistics Canada, the stock of Canadian direct investment in Honduras reached $110 million at the end of 2008. Canadian companies active in Honduras are involved in the apparel, mining and manufacturing sectors, among other areas.

Canada is carving out a free trade leadership role in the Americas. In the region, we have concluded agreements with the United States, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia and Panama, and will continue to pursue free trade agreements across the hemisphere.

Canada has 6 FTAs in force, with a total of 10 countries: NAFTA (United States, Mexico), Israel, Chile, Costa Rica, European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and Peru. On August 15, 2011 a 7^th agreement with Colombia will enter into force.

FTAs with Panama and Jordan have been signed and negotiations with Honduras have concluded.

Free Trade Agreements are in various stages of negotiations with the following 51 countries: Ukraine, Morocco, European Union (27 Member States), Caribbean community – CARICOM (Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago), Dominican Republic, Central America Three (El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua), India, South Korea and Singapore.

---

The Prime Minister's Office - Communications
[Manage my subscriptions | Unsubscribe]