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New gateways for cheaper goods
7/29/2010
THE creation of new routes out of South America not only increases visitor arrivals, but with it comes opportunities for more cargo arrivals, which could translate into cheaper prices to the Barbadian consumer.
Word of this from Minister of International Business and International Transport George Hutson, who said that it is up to local businessmen to buy into the idea of securing goods from these new routes, particularly in the area of beef and other meats.
“It does not make any sense economically to have cargo from places from South America and Latin America being freighted to Miami going through all the regulations and security issues in the United States to be transported into the Caribbean.
So the cost of that freight and the insurance associated with it would take up the cost of your goods. So if we can get the business houses looking at freighting their goods direct to Barbados from the South, that should redound to the benefit of the Barbadian population, in terms of lower prices, because the landed costs of the goods here will be that much lower. What will be important is that the business community should pass on those costs to the consumers,” he stated.
He stressed that it takes time to develop new markets but maintained that now is the time for business persons to begin forging contacts.
Minister Hutson said that it would therefore be the job of the Government after opening up these routes to ensure that whatever regulatory measures needed to ensure the safety of these goods are implemented and that any hindrances are removed. “...And then it is for the private sector to make that investment once we have opened up the routes,” he stated.
“There are some issues I understand, in terms of complying with international standards, HASAP standards for meats being imported from South America. So our Ministry of Agriculture needs to be proactive now and look at those challenges, because those are going to be some of the challenges that business persons are going to be raising in another couple of months,” he predicted.
He remarked that countries such as Brazil and Argentina are great sources for beef and meat noting that Barbados currently imports meat from traditional sources such as New Zealand. (JH)
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