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Costa Rica, Panama and Central American Economic Integration*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

James D. Cochrane
James D. Cochrane*
Affiliation:
The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.
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Extract

The Central American Economic Integration Program, commonly called the Central American Common Market, was initiated in 1951 by the Central American governments and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA), The stated objective of the movement is “to overcome the limitations and obstacles to Central American development arising from the limited resources and market expansion opportunities which characterize the economy of every Central American State.” The hope is that these ends can be promoted through liberalization of intra-regional trade and other forms of economic co-operation.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Inter-American Studies , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , July 1965 , pp. 331 - 344
Copyright
Copyright © University of Miami 1965

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Footnotes

*

Some of the data for this paper were gathered during a research trip to Central America, Panama, and Mexico in 1963. I am indebted to Professors Vernon Van Dyke and Peter G. Snow, both of the Department of Political Science, State University of Iowa, for their comments on an earlier draft of the paper.

References

1 United Nations, Economic and Social Council, Economic Commission for Latin America, Central American Economic Integration and Development, E/CN.12/586 (March 28, 1961), p. 1.

2 The texts of the several Central American economic integration agreements have been translated into English. See: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Multilateral Economic Co-operation in Latin America, Vol. I: Text and Documents, E/CN.12/621 (1962), pp. 5-31.

3 There is one exception to this statement. The Convention on the Regime of Central American Integration Industries required ratification by all five signatory nations to become effective.

4 United Nations, Economic and Social Council, Economic Commission for Latin America, Report of the Central American Economic Cooperation Committee, 3 September 1959 to 13 December 1960, E/CN.12/552, E/CN.12/CCE/224 (June 1961), p. 6.

5 Charles E. Staley, “Costa Rica and the Central American Common Market,” Economía Internazionale, XV, No. 1 (Febbraio 1962), 117.

6 Report of the Central American Economic Cooperation Committee … , p. 6.

7 Ibid.

8 Jorge Borbón, “Costa Rica y la Integración Económica de Centroamérica,” Asociación de Fomento Económico, Serie “Problemas Nacionales,” No. 12, San José, 1961, pp. 3-36. The major points of Borbón's paper are summarized in Staley, loc. cit., pp. 118-9.

9 Borbón, op. cit., p. 24.

10 ibid., p. 27.

11 Ibid., pp. 29-30.

12 Ibid., pp. 28, 33.

13 Ibid., p. 24.

14 For a rebuttal of Borbón's arguments, see: Staley, op. cit., pp. 123-129.

15 For an excellent description of the differences between Costa Rica and a more “typical” Central American nation, see: James L. Busey, “Foundations of Political Contrast: Costa Rica and Nicaragua,” Western Political Quarterly, XI (September 1958), 627-659.

16 Herring, Hubert, “Problems Facing Democracy,” in Curtis Wilgus, A. (ed.), The Caribbean: Its Political Problems, The Caribbean Conference Series (Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 1956), p. 254.Google Scholar

17 Murkland, Harry B., “Costa Rica: Fortunate Society,” Current History, XXII (March 1952), 141.Google Scholar

18 Staley, op. cit., pp. 117-8.

19 Ibid., p. 117.

20 For a description of the development fund, see: James D. Cochrane, “Tie Central American Bank for Economic Integration: A Descriptive Note,” Caribbean Studies, June, 1965.

21 Permanent Secretariat of the General Treaty of Central American Economic Integration, Progress Report of Central American Common Market (Guatemala City, Guatemala, September 1963), p. 3.

22 SIECA Newsletter, No. 23 (September 12, 1963), 7-11.

23 U.S. Department of Commerce, “Growing Panama Negotiates for Common Market Entry,” International Commerce, LXIX, No. 47 (November 25, 1963), 19.

24 Letter to the author from J. Phillip Rourk, Chief of the Economic Section, Embassy of the United States of America, Panama City, Panama, November 23, 1964.

25 See: Cochrane, James D., “U.S. Attitudes Toward Central American Economic Integration,” Inter-American Economic Affairs, XVIII, No. 2 (Autumn 1964), 73–91.Google Scholar

26 Letter from Rourk.