What is the Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR)?
The CAFTA-DR is a trade agreement between the United States and the countries of Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. This Agreement is currently in force for the United States, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The CAFTA-DR requires important reforms of the domestic legal and business environment that encourage competitive business development and investment, protect intellectual property rights, and promote transparency and rule-of-law in the democratic systems that have solidified in the region over the past decade. The Agreement is an important instrument to support U.S. national security interests; the FTA promotes closer economic cooperation among the Central American countries, thereby advancing regional integration and contributing to greater peace and stability in the region.
