Sector Interests Urged to be Fully Prepared for Market Access in Europe
State Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce, Michael Stern, has stressed the need for sector interests to take steps to ensure they are fully prepared to take advantage of market access, particularly in European Union (EU) member countries.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day Technical Assistance to the Caribbean (TACARI) Regional EU Market Access Seminar, at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston on March 3, Minister Stern said that Jamaica and the entire Caribbean has “immense potential in terms of our natural and unnatural resources,” which can yield significant benefits if the necessary preparations are undertaken to tap into those markets.
“Market access can boost national export performance and competitiveness. When we talk about EU market access, we think about the EU single market, with its 455 million consumers. The EU is reportedly the world’s largest food importer, importing more agricultural products from developing countries than the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand combined,” the State Minister noted.
In this regard, Mr. Stern said the EU offered major opportunities, particularly for fruit and vegetable processors and exporters. He pointed out, however, that in order to take advantage of these opportunities, there is a need for greater technical training and improvements in the performance of businesses, “so that they can compete more effectively in the global market.”
The TACARI project is aimed at increasing trade between Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the EU by promoting the EU market access capacity of intermediary business organizations, such as chambers of commerce and industry, sector associations, and export promoters.
As a participant in the TACARI project, Mr. Stern said Jamaica is one of several Caribbean nations cognizant of the need for greater inter-regional networking synergies, and is initiating moves in this regard.
“We cannot but recognize the immense opportunities that are open to us as a region with the training and equipping of our business organizations to continuously improve their ability to access the EU market,” he emphasised. He further pointed out that micro, small and medium enterprises are capable of exploiting export-oriented opportunities and developing special niches in areas such as the creative industries, processed foods, and non-traditional products, among others.
“By focusing on areas such as agriculture, fisheries, wood, furniture, and manufacturing, the TACARI project will not only improve trade and investment between the EU and CARICOM, as a result of improved capacity, but very importantly, will also impact on growth and employment in these key sectors. Very importantly also, our small and medium enterprises will be strengthened in performance and capacity with EU access information services as well as identifying CARICOM-EU business opportunities,” the Minister said.
The seminar, which was attended by regional and European delegates, was jointly staged by Jamaica Trade and Invest, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Suriname Trade and Industry Association, Employers’ Consultative Association of Trinidad and Tobago, and the EG-aviescenntrum, a Dutch information and consultancy agency on small and medium enterprises with the EU. The forum was sponsored by PROINVEST, an EU/African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) partnership programme.