Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 3rd Edition

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Clearing The Hurdles

Quickcanoe Associates out promoting Quickcanoe Foods. The company launched Online Grocery Delivery in March 2018.

the carrier shipping is probably US$25. This isn’t too bad because the online shopper will pay this. However, when there is an additional export fee charged by customs on outgoing goods, there can be an additional US$25. So the item nowmoves to US$45 just for shipping and a total cost of US$65! Would you pay US$65 for pepper sauce? This scares businesses away from the region and we cannot build a sustainable value chain if we are gouging shoppers with outdated port charges” Do you believe Customs and Port operators see regional trade as a threat? Cato: Customs across the Caribbean has been historically unfriendly to Caribbean trade. This is not something that Customs or the good Port Officers want to do. It is rather the direct outcome of us not working hard enough together as private sector and public sector to create an environment where we are moving goods without impediment across the region. CARICOM goods should be all zero charges and treated as hero goods, regardless of category. Could you imagine if New York charged duty on goods from California? It would be devastating to trade between those two great states.Well that is exactly what we are doing when we hold up Caribbean goods in ports across the region.” With the projected rise of e-Commerce globally what stake will the Caribbean have in this growth, especially considering its far-reaching Diaspora? Cato: We are excited about the present and working hard to shape the future. We see a market of 100 million people between the Caribbean, Central America and the Diaspora. Then with International markets and Central

America, we believe it’s a market that’s conservatively up to US$15 billion in value. The size of prize is significant and it touches all sectors. Consumer Packaged Goods, Agriculture, Hospitality, Music, Beauty and Health we think will be major growth categories.” Clicking Next For The Future The question then is how quickly will we establish an e-Commercepolicy framework?Successful implementation of e-Commerce in the Caribbean must begin with dialogue between Governments and private stakeholders – banks, local businesses, ICT and e-Commerce companies. All parties must be willing to work together to develop solutions that can maximize e-Commerce potential. Citizens will be stakeholders in this entire process. The implementation of an e-Commerce framework in the Caribbean must be accompanied by a public education campaign that informs and empowers our people. A brand-new marketplace awaits Caribbean businesses and shoppers with the potential to create new revenue streams and strengthen our economy. This is the future e-Commerce holds for the Caribbean and it’s time to act on it.

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QUIC K CANOE