The language change aims to make obligations to the ILO`s fundamental principles mandatory and applicable to the same extent as all other obligations of the free trade agreement, including the use of trade sanctions. The rest of the working chapter is largely in line with the commitments of previous bilateral free trade agreements. These include procedural safeguards of transparency and fairness in the application of the courts to enforce labour laws and the institutional provisions of a party, including the creation of a joint labour council to monitor the implementation and review of labour commitments. A new mechanism for cooperation and capacity building will also be put in place. Strengthening intellectual property rights (IPRs) was a major U.S. priority, including harmonizing standards at the U.S. level and ensuring Panama`s commitment to a series of international agreements on the protection of intellectual property rights. The most controversial intellectual property issues related to patent exclusivity and pharmaceutical data issues, but Internet piracy has also become a serious problem. Intellectual property protection provisions (Chapter 6 and Appendix XIX) include trademarks, copyrights, patents and geographical indications, and include provisions for respect for intellectual property rights and cooperation between the parties. They are based on the WTO agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) and provide a high level of protection, taking into account the principles of the most favoured nation and national treatment.
The trade pillar of the Association Agreement has been applied provisionally since 1 August 2013 with Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, 1 October 2013 with Costa Rica and El Salvador and 1 December with Guatemala. President Obama also introduced separate enforcement laws for free trade agreements with Colombia and South Korea, as well as laws again authorizing trade adjustment assistance. The four bills were considered part of a business matter for Congress and the government. SICA, also known as the Sistema de Integracion Centroamericana, is a central American regional institution founded in 1991 by Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. The main objective of this institution is to promote the integration of Central America and to promote security, freedom, democracy and social development in the region. So-called „partners of interest.“ Inside U.S. trade. Administration points to Panama`s problems as no major obstacles to free trade agreements. March 13, 2009, and Schatz, Joseph J, „Pending Panama Trade Agreement No Sure Thing as Opponents Mobilize,“ CQ Today, March 11, 2009, p. 6. Panama agreed in 2002 to implement the OECD tax standard through tax information exchange agreements, but delayed the conclusion of these agreements until 2011. To address the „grey list“ issue, Panama has 14 double taxation agreements with the United States, in addition to TIEA.
