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Minister of Commerce and Trade, Senator Haynesley Benn

The CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) have partnered in an initiative which is designed to assist the region’s exporters in accessing opportunities in the European Union (EU).

The three year project, entitled Strengthening the Capabilities of Testing Laboratories in the Caribbean to Reduce Technical Barriers to Trade, was established with CROSQ’s signing of a Grant Agreement from the CDB, through its Caribbean Aid for Trade and Regional Integration Trust Fund (CART Fund).?? As part of the project, the two organisations have been hosting workshops this week to assess the needs of exporters.

The project’s focus will be on strengthening regional testing laboratories, to ensure products to be introduced in to the EU market meet the requisite standards.?? It also aims to alleviate existing technical barriers to trade, which include requirements such as product testing and certification from accredited laboratories.

These programmes are expected to benefit regional and local markets, as more cost efficient, international standard testing will be made available.?? In addition, they will also serve the interests of those exporters who hope to reach additional international markets.

The workshop series is the first activity of the CROSQ/CDB CART Fund project and will assist CROSQ in identifying the necessary laboratory services for exporters, and ultimately assist three regional laboratories to achieve accreditation.

Minister of Commerce and Trade, Senator Haynesley Benn, will address participants attending the final day of the series of workshop this Friday, January 20, at the CDB, Wildey, St. Michael.

nekaelia.hutchinson@barbados.gov.bb

Author: CROSQ/Nekaelia Hutchinson

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