WTO BANANA RULING DEVASTATING BLOW TO VULNERABLE CARIBBEAN ECONOMIES
Region’s Banana-Producing Countries Risk being Squeezed out of Market
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Caribbean banana exporting countries have reacted with alarm to a ruling handed down Monday (August 1) by World Trade Organization (WTO) Arbitrators’ against the EC proposed tariff of €230 per tonne on third country banana imports under its Tariff Only system, that states it would not maintain total market access for MFN banana suppliers.
Regrettably, the arbitration panel did not make clear what it would consider to be an adequate
Press Releases
Hon Said Musa, Prime Minister of Belize
Ministers of Government of Belize
His Excellency Dr. John Ashe, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre
Dr. Kenrick Leslie, Executive Director of the Climate Change Centre and his Staff
Distinguished Representative of the Government of Italy
Dr. Ulric Trotz, Head of the MACC Project
Members of the Board of Governors of the Centre
Other Distinguished Guests
(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), His Excellency Edwin Carrington and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Italy, The Hon. Gianfranco Fini, recently concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation between CARICOM and the Republic of Italy
(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) Law enforcement officials from Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will soon have the opportunity for training under a scholarship programme being offered by the Government of Chile.
News of this recently came from a high-level delegation from Chile’s Uniformed Police Agency, which called on officials of the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana.
BARBADOS’ TRADE MINISTER TO PLAY KEY ROLE IN WTO MINISTERIAL SUMMIT
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados Dame Billie Miller was elected by the World Trade Organization (WTO) General Council Friday (July 29) as a Vice-Chair in the bureau of the Chair of the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference, to be held in Hong Kong this December.
Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology of Hong Kong, China Mr.
INTERIM WTO AGREEMENT IN DOUBT, SAYS BERNAL CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – “It is doubtful that agreement on “First Approximations” can be reached by the end of July,” said Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal, reflecting on what could be achieved at next week’s scheduled World Trade Organization (WTO) General Council meeting. That meeting had been slated as a deadline for a set of interim agreements to be arrived at for Doha Round talks, in advance of a key WTO Ministerial in December.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) Staff at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat offices in Georgetown, Guyana, will take full occupancy of the new Headquarters Building at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown during the period 15-31 July 2005.
During this period, contact may continue to be made with the Secretariat through its current telephone and facsimilie numbers except for 21 July when the telephone system will be disconnected. Internet will not be available between 21 and 24 July 2005.
Your Excellency, Dr. Rafael Alburquerque, VicePresident of the Dominican Republic,
Hon. Keremchend Raghoebarsing, Outgoing Chairman of CARIFORUM,
Hon. Knowlson Gift, Incoming Chairman of CARIFORUM,
Hon. Carlos Morales Troncoso, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic,
Hon. Dr. Onfre Rojas, Minister of ONFED, The Dominican Republic,
Hon. Ministers, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, The Delegate of the European Union,
Distinguished Delegates,
Members of the Media,
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(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), H.E. Edwin Carrington, will pay an official visit to the Republic of Italy from the 21st to the 22nd of July, where he will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen political, scientific and technical cooperation between CARICOM Member States and the Government of Italy.
Your Excellencies Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community
Your Excellency Dr. Leonel Fernandez, President of the Dominican Republic
Your Excellency Edwin Carrington, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community
Your Excellency Enrique Iglesias, outgoing President of the Inter- American Development Bank
Your Excellency Dr. Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary- General of the Organisation of American States
Distinguished Ministers
Members of the Diplomatic Corps