Common use of Objectives and Principles Clause in Contracts

Objectives and Principles. 1. With the objectives of facilitating trade under this Agreement and cooperating in pursuing trade facilitation initiatives on a multilateral and hemispheric basis, Canada and Costa Rica agree to administer their import and export processes for goods traded under this Agreement on the basis that: (a) procedures be efficient to reduce costs for importers and exporters and simplified where appropriate to achieve such efficiencies; (b) procedures be based on any international trade instruments or standards to which the Parties have agreed; (c) entry procedures be transparent to ensure predictability for importers and exporters; (d) measures to facilitate trade also support mechanisms to protect persons through effective enforcement of and compliance with national requirements; (e) the personnel and procedures involved in those processes reflect high standards of integrity; (f) the development of significant modifications to procedures of a Party include, in advance of implementation, consultations with the representatives of the trading community of that Party; (g) procedures be based on risk assessment principles to focus compliance efforts on transactions that merit attention, thereby promoting effective use of resources and providing incentives for voluntary compliance with the obligations to importers and exporters; and (h) the Parties encourage cooperation, technical assistance and the exchange of information, including information on best practices, for the purpose of promoting the application of and compliance with the trade facilitation measures agreed upon under this Agreement.