Caribbean360: Jamaica says new US regulation can help boost exports

Jamaica says new US regulation can help boost exports
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Chris Hoyos on 28/10/2011 10:13:00
 
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Friday October 28, 2011 - Changes to US food safety
regulations will directly impact close to a half of Jamaica’s non-traditional
food exports, according to Vitus Evans, President of the Jamaica Exporters
Association (JEA).
The regulations and the increased inspections are to be carried out under the
new US Food Safety Modernization Act that takes effect January, 2012.
He believes the measures would enhance competitiveness and market access since
it requires greater accountability from exporters and systematic, scientific
proof that all steps are being taken to ensure that food products going into the
US are safe for human and animal consumption.
"We also need to be mindful that all companies producing for consumption in the
US would be affected, therefore, the ones that are able to comply first, would
have the advantage in that market,” he said.
Evans said the JEA “stands ready to work with the national taskforce (set up
by the government) and all other partners, to assist companies with becoming
compliant with the regulations."
He was speaking during this week’s launch of a special assistance programme by
the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) that will provide
grant support to firms exporting food products to the US.
Companies will be able to access up to €5,000 to conduct gap audits.
Senior Advisor, Market Intelligence, Caribbean Export, David Gomez, informed
that the entity will benefit food producers and exporters across the CARIFORUM
region (CARICOM and the Dominican Republic) and is intended to complement other
initiatives being undertaken at the national and regional levels.
"What we want to do is to be able to play a critical role in brokering the right
types of arrangements that allow you to move forward with a benefit package that
is meaningful and allows you to achieve the kind of certification and allows you
to access and remain competitive in those markets,” he stated.
He said the €5,000, which is being provided under a €500,000 facility, will
enable companies to conduct diagnostics “to determine what is necessary, what
is needed”.
“The information that comes back from that,  hopefully we will take that and
sit with our partners and craft and articulate and design a broader response and
preparedness strategy that can be implemented at the national level and that
hopefully can be rolled out with some best practices at the regional level.
“We believe that Jamaica was key for doing this (as the country)  is certainly
ahead of the game…and we feel that a lot of the practices and what is
undertaken here could certainly be used to benefit other food producers across
the region,” he said.
Gomez noted that while the facility is being rolled out in Jamaica initially, it
is available to the entire region. Click here to receive free news bulletins via
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