(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) A two day Seminar for the Haitian private sector on the management of CARICOM trade is due to begin on Wednesday 2nd February at the Karibe Hotel, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The Seminar is being organized by the CARICOM Representation Office in Haiti and the Bureau de Coordination et de Suivi des Accords de la CARICOM, de l’OMC et de la ZLEA, of the Government of Haiti. It is being held as a result of the coming into effect on 1st January 2011 of an agreement for non reciprocal preferential access for some Haitian goods into the CARICOM market.

Under the arrangement, the Caribbean Community has agreed to allow Haiti to export a selected list of Haitian products duty free into the CARICOM market for a three year period without Haiti having to grant the same access to other CARICOM states, even though Haiti is a member of the Single Market. This special arrangement for Haiti is part of CARICOM's support of its Member State in its post earthquake recovery efforts.

The seminar will be conducted by four officials from the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown and the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) in Barbados. It will focus on the administrative requirements that will have to be observed for those exporting goods to the CARICOM market. Approximately sixty private sector representatives are expected to attend and the Minister of Commerce of Haiti, Madame Josseline Fethrier is due to deliver an opening address.

31st January 2011
Port Au Prince

CONTACT: piu@caricom.org