Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mr. Randall Karim, welcomed delegates of the Jamaica Promotions Corporation’s (JAMPRO) and the High Commission of Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago’s Business Mission and urged them to fully explore leads and maximise use of information shared, to obtain as much knowledge about the Trinidad and Tobago market and the existing business culture.
The Permanent Secretary made these remarks on behalf of Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry, at a business networking cocktail jointly hosted by JAMPRO and the High Commission of Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago on September 17, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port of Spain. The business mission, which continues through September 21, serves as another milestone in bilateral relations and a commitment towards deepening economic ties between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.
Commending JAMPRO and the High Commission of Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago on the worthwhile and mutually beneficial initiative of the business mission, Mr. Karim said, “This is another step in the right direction for strengthening the economic relationship and improving the smooth flow of trade between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.”
Further, the Permanent Secretary underscored the frequency of trade missions between the two countries, noting the most recent mission undertaken by the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce to Jamaica over the period June 25-29, 2024. The highly successful mission included 15 companies from Trinidad and Tobago and a total of nineteen 19 delegates from both the public and private sectors, with a number of those participants securing linkages for potential deals which would benefit both exports and sourcing of inputs.
Mr. Karim also reaffirmed the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s and the Government’s commitment to the principles espoused under the Revised Treaty of Chaguramas, which includes regional rules related to the operation of the Common External Tariff or CET aimed at protecting and providing a foundation for growth and development for the region’s manufacturing capacity. “More specifically, in relation to Jamaica, we have appointed a Commercial Attaché based in Jamaica” he said.
Also delivering remarks at the event was Her Excellency Natalie Campbell-Rodriques, High Commissioner of Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago. The High Commissioner thanked the Ministry of Trade and Industry for being receptive to the mission and expressed optimism for the various trade and investment opportunities that the mission would offer between the two countries.
Trade relations between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica have maintained a positive balance within recent years particularly with manufactured products. Trinidad and Tobago’s exports from 2018 to present were dominated by products in the food and beverage sector. These products include cereals, biscuits, flavoured water and other non-alcoholic beverages, while Jamaica’s exports to Trinidad and Tobago from 2018 to present also included products in the food and beverage sector. These include margarine, pastries and condensed milk.
