(QCOSTARICA) The Nicaraguan Government issued an agreement, which establishes reciprocal treatment for Costa Rican cargo carriers in its territory, in response to the measures imposed by Costa Rica for the control of possible covid-19 infections.
In this way, Costa Rican truckers will enter with GPS monitoring or control, will transit pre-defined routes, will arrive at pre-established bonded warehouses, and will have a maximum stay of 72 hours in that country.
The Nicaraguan measure adds that Costa Rican trucks cannot load in that country, that is, they must return empty, and that they will circulate with a police escort.
These last two measures are not among the conditions in force in Costa Rica.
The Minister of Foreign Trade (Comex), Dyalá Jiménez, clarified that the loading and loading of cargo in Costa Rica is open and that the control is only with GPS, except when the truckers in transit from border to border move in police escorted caravans.
Jiménez explained, through the Comex press office, that she will address this issue after a virtual meeting of the Council of Ministers of Economic Integration (Comieco), which was to take place Friday afternoon, but postponed to today, Saturday, to include representatives of the Federation of Transport Chambers of Central America (Fecatrans).
The Costa Rican trade Minister did not refer to the implications of the Nicaraguan announcement.
Costa Rica offered the region, on May 28, slightly more flexible measures, including that dangerous, perishable and refrigerated goods to be delivered directly to the end user, bypassing the bonded warehouse step.
Details of the agreement of Nicaraguan authorities is confusing, as it does not clarify whether the documentation process at the border is restarted and thus allow the transit of cargo.
Nicaragua ordered on May 18 its customs officials not to process cargo documentation, in effect shutting the border to the movement of cargo.
In addition, an eventual opening of the border by the Nicaraguan authorities also does not guarantee the restart of the transit of goods. This, because the truckers of that country continue to refuse to meet the requirements imposed by Costa Rica.
