This action follows several weeks of consultations, including at the highest levels, between the government of Jamaica and the government of Trinidad and Tobago on the matter of the importation of patties into Trinidad and Tobago.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Dr Kenneth Baugh, was formally advised of the clearance by the Minister of Trade of Trinidad and Tobago Mariano Browne.

The resolution of the importation issue followed intervention by the deputy prime minister and the ministers of Industry Investment and Commerce, Karl Samuda, and Agriculture, Dr Christopher Tufton.

The ministers emphasised that Jamaica would be ensuring that the move to have CARICOM formally address the streamlining of intra-regional sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) procedures is given highest priority.

In the coming days, Jamaica is expecting a regional inspection team which, in collaboration with the Veterinary Services Division, will visit processing facilities with a view to facilitating exports of Jamaican meat products throughout the region.