The Jamaican Government was this week celebrating victory in a trade war with Trinidad and Tobago over what it said was that Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country's earlier attempts to block Jamaican patties from being exported there.

The foreign ministry and the state news agency announced the clearance by Trinidad of a shipment of the product.

Government sources had earlier confirmed that Tastee Limited has been at the centre of the dispute with the authorities in Trinidad. Tastee has declined to comment on the matter.

A statement from the Government said Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kenneth Baugh was formally advised of the clearance by Trinidad Trade Minister Mariano Browne.

Still being certified

The Government has not said if the clearance represents a permanent solution that paves the way for other Jamaican producers of the commodity to sell in that and other CARICOM markets.

Juici Patties has confirmed its interest in exporting the typically Jamaican product to Trinidad, but said last week that it was still going through the process of being certified by the local veterinary services.

The latest development surroun-ding the issue followed interventions by Dr Kenneth Baugh and Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Karl Samuda, as well as Agriculture Minister Christopher Tufton.

The Government says it will now 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."

A regional inspection team was expected in Jamaica to visit processing facilities along with the veterinary services division of the Ministry of Agriculture to clear another hurdle for the export of Jamaican meat products throughout the region.

business@gleanerjm.com