Consumers To Benefit
Most From TLC,
Organization Says
The Asociación de
Consumidores de Costa
Rica (Consumer
Association) says that
the winners of the
Tratado de Libre
Comercio (TLC) - free
trade agreement with the
United States - are the
consumers, with more
variety of merchandise
and better prices.
Gilberto Campos and
Érick Ugalde, leaders of
the association, in an
interview with the
Spanish daily Diario
Extra, said that they
believe consumers will
be real winners if the
TLC is approved by
referendum vote on
October 7.
With the trade deal,
consumers will benefit
from a greater variety
of items on store
shelves and at lower
prices than current,
including new articles
that are not now
available.
Campos said that they
have taken part in a
number of forums on the
subject and it is clear
that consumers will
benefit, because the
opening of the market
will mean greater access
to more goods and
services.
Ugalde, for his part,
reminds that some 20
years ago Costa Ricans
had to shop at the
Panamanian border for
items that could not be
found in San José or any
other part of the
country. The process of
the globalization of the
economy and lower import
tariffs in Costa Rica
allowed for more
consumer goods.
Both Campos and Ugalde
agree that the quality
of products and services
will increase and many
opposed to the TLC, like
Conarroz, because they
will lose privileged
benefits. In the case of
Conarroz, they are the
only ones in the country
that can import rice
duty free, but has never
been passed on to
consumers.
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