Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry signed a General Framework Agreement on behalf of Trinidad and Tobago with the Honourable Mr. Ruisandro Cijntje, Minister of Economic Development, Curaçao to commence negotiations of a Partial Scope Trade Agreement with the autonomous country within the Netherlands, at the Prime Minister’s Office, Fort Amsterdam in Willemstad, Curaçao.
The signing of the General Framework Agreement signals the commitment to deepen integration between the two countries. The negotiations are expected to be completed within a 3 – year period and cover a range of subjects including market access for goods, services, investments, non-tariff measures such as sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade.
During the signing ceremony Minister Gopee-Scoon said “It is my hope that this Agreement will usher in more than the expansion of market access for goods and services between our countries but that it will also serve to further regional cooperation and connectivity, issues which rose to prominence in the aftermath of the shipping and logistical challenges following Covid-19 mitigation measures”.
In the margins the Minister of Trade and Industry presented a token to His Excellency Gilmar Pisas, Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs and Foreign Relations and exchanged gifts with the Minister of Economic Development.
Minister Gopee-Scoon is leading a Trade Mission in Curaçao, located off the Venezuelan coast. Eleven companies are engaged in business meetings designed to build alliances, expand Trinidad and Tobago’s entry into non-traditional markets and grow exports.
