Concern over CARICOM Trade Pact with Canada

(Jamaica Gleaner)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Dr Kenneth Baugh, has expressed concerns about the upcoming free trade agreement to be signed between Canada and CARICOM.

Speaking with Canada's Minister of International Cooperation, Beverley Oda, on Monday in Ottawa, Baugh noted that Jamaica would be inundated with Canadian products as a result of the trade agreement. The deputy prime minister said an impact analysis showed that opening up trade with Canada would be detrimental to Jamaica, unless there was a development component.

"We are small countries and we have to be careful how we enter into free-trade agreements. What would make a big difference is technology transfer," said Baugh. He told Oda that the transfer of technologies from Canada to Jamaica would assist the island in building capacities for processing, marketing, sorting, grading and packaging foods. Read more here.