CARIBBEAN: Tradewatch, August 6, 2003

August 6TH, 2003

MAIN…
- BUSINESS PERSONS LOOK TO DEEPEN JAMAICA-TRINIDAD TRADE
- ACP AND EU TO WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE ACP DEVELOPMENT

BRIEFLY…
-MOVES UNDERWAY FOR START OF CCJ IN NOVEMBER
- EFFORTS TO ADVANCE FAIR TRADE SOLUTIONS AT WTO MINISTERIAL UNDERWAY 
- DR TO BE INCLUDED IN CENTRAL AMERICAN FTA
- NEW AIR CARRIER TO INCLUDE BWIA AND LIAT
- INDIGENOUS CARIB INDIAN PRODUCTS TO ENTER INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

HAPPENINGS…
- CRNM/CTO/CHA HOST TOURISM SERVICES SEMINAR
- CARIFESTA VIII PROMISES AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE

MAIN…

BUSINESSPERSONS LOOK TO DEEPEN JAMAICA-TRINIDAD TRADE
In an attempt to deepen intra-regional trade, a group of Trinidadian 
businessmen will stage an investment mission to Jamaica between September 7 
and 12. Ahead of this visit however, Jamaican authorities are seeking to 
re-balance the trade flows between the countries, given the US$336 million 
trade imbalance between the two, in favour of T&T in 2001. Under the 
organisation of the TTMA and the Tourism and Industrial Development Company 
of T&T, the trade and investment mission will be sponsored by Scotiabank T&T, 
with support from Scotiabank Jamaica. 

Speaking about the mission, Lorne T McDonnnough, Jamaica's high commissioner 
to Trinidad and Tobago underlined the importance for more balanced trade 
between both countries, noting that it is critical to the sustainability of 
bilateral trade. McDonnnough was addressing members of the Trinidad and 
Tobago Manufacturers' Association (TTMA), who will be participating in the 
Jamaica trade mission. This call from the Jamaican diplomat comes against the 
backdrop of an ever-growing trade deficit between Jamaica and the rest of 
CARICOM, in particular T&T. 

In positing solutions to this growing problem, the high commissioner called 
on Trinidadian businesspersons to seek out more investment opportunities in 
Jamaica. Underlining the potential in Jamaica’s tourism industry, McDonnnough 
noted that growth prospects had been significantly enhanced by the building 
of Highway 2000 - the major arterial roadway linking Kingston and Montego Bay 
now under construction. He also suggested that many opportunities abound in 
the information technology sector. The much-debated Caribbean Single Market 
and Economy (CSME) was also discussed, with the high commissioner stressing 
the need for CARICOM governments to push for its completion.

ACP AND EU TO WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE ACP DEVELOPMENT
Members of the Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) group and the EU 
have resolved to work closely to ensure the fifth WTO Summit in Cancun, 
Mexico honours the Doha Round development objectives.
The respective groupings have adopted a common statement that details the 
common position they will be defending in Cancun. This will hopefully see the 
EU and the ACP group working together to ensure that the Doha Development 
Agenda maintains a fair and important level of preferences for industrial and 
agricultural products for ACP countries and that trade opening takes place in 
a gradual and flexible manner. This bid will urge all WTO countries to find a 
solution to the issue of access to medicines for countries with no 
manufacturing capacity as a matter of urgency in accordance with the Doha 
mandate and to work together to establish rules giving developing countries 
special and differential treatment to help them better integrate into the 
world trading system.

This comes as ACP trade ministers called on WTO members to focus on the 
demands of developing countries. They are urging rich countries to remove 
trade barriers in the farm sector, eliminate subsidies for agricultural 
exports and strengthen provisions that allow poorer countries to shield 
domestic markets from foreign competition. The grouping further called on the 
WTO to strengthen provisions that would enable developing countries to opt 
out of certain elements of a global trade deal. It is hoped that this 
so-called "special and differential treatment" would protect budding 
industries from foreign competition.

BRIEFLY…

MOVES ARE UNDERWAY FOR START OF CCJ IN NOVEMBER
Concrete moves are being taken to implement the long debated Caribbean Court 
of Justice (CCJ). The official word suggests that the CCJ, which is to be 
launched in November, is scheduled to start with 10 judges and an overall 
staff of around 40. The CCJ will replace the UK-based Privy Council as the 
court of last resort for several English-speaking Caribbean countries, as 
well as have originating jurisdiction in interpreting the Revised Treaty of 
Chaguaramas, through which Caribbean Community (Caricom) members are moving 
towards a single market and economy. The Caribbean Development Bank is set to 
serve as one of the main funding sources for the CCJ, further to a request 
from regional governments for the financial institution to raise US$100 
million for a Trust Fund to finance the court in perpetuity. While the CDB 
will raise the bulk of the money on the international capital markets, the 
court's participating members will have separate, and individual loan 
agreements with the bank for their portion of the cost of the project.

EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO ADVANCE FAIR TRADE SOLUTIONS AT WTO MINISTERIAL
According to news reports, a number of civic, business and farming leaders 
will gather in Cancun, Mexico next month for the International Fair Trade 
Fair. This event will seek to promote "Fair Trade," the rapidly growing, 
market-based alternative to 'Free Trade.' It comes as world leaders face 
increasing public pressure to alleviate endemic hunger and rural poverty. 
This pressure is coming from groups such as Oxfam International, which has 
produced evidence that nearly 25 million coffee farmers in Latin America, 
Asia and Africa have seen prices fall by 70 percent in the last 5 years. 
Fair Trade cooperatives guarantee fair wages to producers of coffee, 
chocolate, bananas and many other crafts and commodities. In many cases, 
these wages are affording them the opportunity to meet the food, education 
and health care needs of their families. "There is a real opportunity for the 
WTO and the US government to incorporate Fair Trade principles in developing 
new trade rules," stated Mark Ritchie, President of the Minneapolis based 
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, one of the organisations 
convening the International Fair Trade Fair. He adds, "the Fair Trade 
movement has flourished largely because the WTO-driven, free trade model has 
failed to respond to the needs of poor countries."

DR TO BE INCLUDED IN CENTRAL AMERICAN FTA

According to the DR1 Daily News, a leading Newspaper in the Dominican 
Republic, US ambassador Hans Hertell has formally announced to Dominican 
authorities that the United States will include the Dominican Republic in its 
negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement with Central America. US Trade 
Representative Robert Zoellick notified President Hipólito Mejía, that the 
consultation process in Congress had started and would last 90 days. 

NEW AIR CARRIER TO INCLUDE BWIA AND LIAT

A new Caribbean Carrier to incorporate BWIA and LIAT is being considered and 
could possibly include other Caribbean carriers, according to regional 
reports. Former Chief executive of BWIA, Ian Betrand has been retained as a 
consultant, to help create an Eastern Caribbean airline out of BWIA and LIAT. 
He is expected to develop a working plan after a consultation and development 
process for the new entity, Caribbean International Airlines Holding Ltd. 
BWIA and LIAT have been experiencing financial difficulty for some time with 
interim financing from shareholder governments to keep them flying.

INDIGENOUS CARIB INDIAN PRODUCTS TO ENTER INTERNATIONAL MARKETS 
According to media reports, two organisations recently examined the 
possibility of entry into the US market of baskets produced by the indigenous 
people of the Commonwealth of Dominica. The OECS Export Development Unit 
(EDU) and the Dominica Export/Import Agency (DEXIA) recently returned from a 
market visit to Atlanta USA, as part of a product strategy to market the 
Caribs of Dominica and their ancient basket-weaving techniques at the same 
time ensuring the sustainability of the craft of the Carib people and 
alleviating poverty through organized sale.

Forests of the World, a Fair Trade Organization, and international importer 
of hand crafts and specializes in distributing products of indigenous artists 
has been engaged in business for a long time and has agreed to purchase and 
distribute the Carib products in the US. The collection to be marketed, 
boasts 75 designs and features new shapes, color schemes and enhanced 
contours. The EDU and DEXIA also aim to sell these products to tourist stores 
throughout the Caribbean. A target volume amounting to US$35,000 is to be 
sold during the first six months of the contract. 

HAPPENINGS

CRNM/CTO/CHA HOST TOURISM SERVICES SEMINAR 
Caribbean Export joined other regional and national agencies at the recently 
concluded Seminar/workshop on Tourism Services Negotiation Issues: 
Implications for CARIFORUM, convened under the auspices of the Caribbean 
Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) 
and Caribbean Hotel association (CHA. The session was held to elicit comments 
from the select group of tourism experts and other stakeholders on the draft 
report of a study on the implications of liberalised trade in services for 
the regional industry, commissioned by the CRNM. Other participants came from 
Tourism and Industrial Development Company of Trinidad & Tobago (TIDCO), 
Jamaica High commission to Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados Private Sector Team, 
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, CARICOM Secretariat, University of 
the West Indies (UWI –Mona), the Caribbean Association of Industry and 
Commerce (CAIC) as well as from the host institutions.

CARIFESTA VIII PROMISES AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE

CARIFESTA VIII, one of the region’s prime events will take place this year in 
Suriname from August 24 – 30. The event will feature a Grand Market, which 
will afford participating countries the opportunity to showcase their 
respective art and craft traditions. On display will be culinary art, a 
postage stamp exhibition, woodcarving demonstrations, a book fair, fashion 
shows and presentations on traditional medicine and their uses. Patrons will 
also be treated to a Caribbean Film Festival on arts and craft, a floral 
show, and the art and design of jewellery. CARIFESTA VIII will also include 
special trips to the natural habitats of some of the indigenous peoples of 
the vast land of Suriname for cultural performances and displays.