. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/AG/N/CRI/10
20 July 2000
(00-2997)
Committee on Agriculture Original:  Spanish
NOTIFICATION
On 20 June 2000, the following notification concerning export subsidy commitments
(Tables ES:1 to ES:3 ) for the year 1998 was received from the Permanent Mission of  Costa Rica .
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Pursuant to Articles 10 and 18:2 of the Ag reement on Agriculture, the Government of the
Republic of Costa Rica notifies with respect to th e export subsidy limitation commitments for 1998 that
the export incentive system basically consists of  the Tax Credit Certificate (CAT).  As the CAT
represents a percentage of the value of exports, it is  not feasible to establish a reduction commitment for
Government outlays under this heading.  Neverthele ss, the commitment to reduce the percentage of the
CAT granted by the State, and the commitment to eliminate the income tax exemption, both fall within
the spirit of agricultural trade liberalization a nd substantially fulfil the objectives set in the
Uruguay Round.
It is important to point out that there was a timet able for phasing out this programme:  in a first
stage the incentives were partially eliminated on 30 September 1996, and in a second stage they were
totally eliminated on 30 September 1999.
With regard to the reduction commitments re lating to export subsidies under the Tax Credit
Certificate (CAT), the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica notifies that approximately
US$122.6 million were assigned as subsidies for agricultural exports during 1998.  The amount of the
subsidy corresponds to all the certificates grante d to non-traditional products (all the products included
in the industrial, agricultural and fisheries sectors w ith the exception of bananas, coffee, sugar and meat)
exported to third markets (all countries other than Central American countries).
Pursuant to Articles 10 and 18:2 of the Ag reement on Agriculture, the Government of the
Republic of Costa Rica notifies that there were  no exports for international food aid purposes
(Table ES:3) in 1998.G/AG/N/CRI/10
Page 2Table ES:2
EXPORT SUBSIDIES:  Costa Rica
Reporting Period:  1998
Export Subsidies:  Notification of Total Exports
Description of products Calendar year Quantity of total exports
kg. gross weight
123
Fruit 2,570,467,580.75
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