Abstract

CANO, Carlos Gustavo. Colombian Agriculture In the Light of Bilateral Trade Agreements. rev.ing. [online]. 2013, n.38, pp.63-70. ISSN 0121-4993.

The primary obstacle to genuine multilateral global trade liberalization has been the extreme protection of agriculture in the wealthiest economies. Therefore, the route left open following the collapse of the Doha Round is that of bilateral trade agreements, which are essentially commercial pacts of limited scope. The trade agreement with the United States is the result of Colombia‘s priority interest in making permanent the concessions granted temporarily to a portion of its exports in compensation for the fight against illegal drugs. The agreement has been developed at the expense of the Andean Price Band System, which was the only mechanism previously available for border controls. In the agreement signed with the European Union, the winning sector was fruit and vegetables, and the loser milk and dairy products. However, both treaties may lose relevance once the United States and the European Union sign the treaty known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), given the trade diversion effects it will have. On the other hand, depletion of the downward cycle in prices for agricultural products, and the onset of an upward trend in the medium term, could overwhelm the limited room for maneuver provided by such bilateral pacts. To respond to these challenges and to seize new opportunities, Colombia should focus on the mass adoption of biotechnology and on resolving the conflict between current use of the land and its true agro-ecological vocation

Keywords : Agricultural; market; free trade agreement.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )