Costa Rica has hired a consulting firm that will handle the defence in the WTO procedure regarding Hass avocado imports from Mexico.
The country hired the Advisory Centre on World Trade Organization (WTO) Affairs, to represent them in the process opened by Mexico due to the phytosanitary measures that Costa Rica placed on Hass avocado imports from that country.
The Center is an organization based in Geneva that is dedicated to counseling and providing non-profit, legal representation to developing and underdeveloped countries seeking support in WTO matters.
Alexander Mora, the Minister of Foreign Trade, said it was essential to have that defence for the avocado process.
"Since the Center does not have a commercial motivation, their fees to support developing and underdeveloped countries in dispute settlements is significantly lower than the fees of other companies that provide this kind of service.
In addition, Costa Rica took into account their level of expertise and the previous good experiences that the country has had with them to define this course of action," he said.
The center has a long history of service to Costa Rica, which started in 2005, before the country's accession to the Advisory Centre on World Trade Organization Affairs in 2009.
They have represented Costa Rica in several dispute settlement procedures; as a complainant when the European Union proposed the establishment of a single tariff for bananas (2005); and as a third party in the dispute between the United States, Taiwan and Japan against the European Union on certain information technology products (2009).
In addition, the Center also participated as a complainant in the dispute between Central America and the Dominican Republic regarding the safety of polypropylene bags imposed by the latter.
The Directorate of State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) restricted the import of avocados on May 5, 2015.
Source: laprensalibre.cr