A senior Bahamian private sector official says he hopes local companies will together with their counterparts from Jamaica and Belize, be more aware of the opportunities offered by the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM)-European Union (EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The accord, which was signed in 2008, replaces the trade component of Lomé IV and its successor, Cotonou Agreement in 2000. Speaking at the CARIFORUM-EU EPA workshop here on Thursday, executive chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC), Michael Foulkes, said Bahamian companies were already taking advantage of the opportunities provided by international trade partnerships and is supportive of efforts to build awareness for the private sector. “Today, we have SMEs ready to export or who are currently exporting and who are participating in this workshop; and it is hoped that they, together with their counterparts from Jamaica and Belize, will, at the completion of the workshop, be more aware of the opportunities offered by the CARIFORUM-EU European Partnership Agreement.”
Source: jamaicaobserver