Seminar seeks to boost Caribbean exports

Want to explore exporting opportunities? Try the Caribbean, says Robert Jones, a U.S. Department of Commerce counselor for commercial affairs. Jones spoke to a group of business owners at a seminar sponsored by the LSU Louisiana Business & Technology Center this afternoon. Proximity to the U.S. is one major advantage of doing business in the Caribbean. Another advantage is CAFTA, a trade agreement that removed duties on U.S. goods coming into the Caribbean. More than 80% of U.S. products that enter the Caribbean come in duty-free. The Department of Commerce is arranging a trade mission to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica in June. The department also provides “Gold Key” opportunities that allow interested business owners to meet potential contacts in Caribbean countries. Those meetings give company owners a chance to learn about potential industries and markets where they may be able to expand, Jones says. “We want them to learn about existing opportunities and resources, especially on the local level,” he says. “Few even know we exist.” —Emma James