Supporting regional trade is central to the work of the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export). Caribbean Export in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH or GIZ in short, supported the participation of four CARIFORUM companies to exhibit at the recently held Jamaica International Exhibition (JIE) at the Montego Bay Convention Centre from May 30 to June 1, 2019.
“Participation in the JIE enabled us to gain meaningful feedback on our new product line and promote our existing teas with various key players in the Jamaican market. We were able to present our teas to hotel management, distributors and even the Mayor of Montego Bay which was encouraging as the feedback was fantastic” informed Sophia Stone, CEO at Caribbean Cure Ltd from Trinidad and Tobago.
Other exhibiting companies included Benedicta SA producers of the region’s only cider alcoholic beverage from the Dominican Republic, Gom Foods out of Suriname who produce a range of marinades and condiments; and from Saint Lucia the Winfresh Group also presented their range of sauces and condiments.
Speaking on his experience at the JIE Gustavo Cruz Jerez, Co-Founder and CEO at Benedicta SA highlighted that they “made good business contacts for Jamaica, Guyana, Costa Rica, Suriname, Grenada and Miami.”
Inclusion of CARIFORUM firms at National Trade show such as JIE is an important intervention for the Agency. In addition to JIE the Agency supported seventeen (17) of the WE-Xport firms to participate in BMEX in Barbados over the period June 7-10, 2019 together with regional buyers in the BIDC Buyer Program. Caribbean Export in cooperation with the European Union will continue supporting national trade shows throughout the year such as the Guyana Trade and Investment Exhibition (GuyTie); Everything Vincy 2019 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the upcoming Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) in Trinidad and Tobago.
Caribbean Export will itself be hosting a trade exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany on September 27th as part of the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum, a 3-day event to support increased trade between CARIFORUM and the EU. Over 60 CARIFORUM companies will participate in the business forum many of whom have had tremendous success at the aforementioned national events.
“We are grateful to Caribbean Export and GIZ team for supporting us in this initiative and helping us progress one step further in international market penetration” expressed Stone.
