DESPITE many discussions to address it, Guyanese businesses continue face the age-old issue of exporting or transshipping honey products to Trinidad and Tobago (TT).
The non-conformity of Trinidad and Tobago’s legislation governing the importation or transitting of honey has been a long-standing issue continuously raised before the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED).

The issue was once again raised on Saturday during a Business Breakfast Seminar held by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association under the theme, ‘The Original Jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice and the Private Sector.’
Discussions were held on the rights of CARICOM nationals, movement within member states and the jurisdiction of the CCJ to preside over and adjudicate on disputes over provisions in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC).

Presentations were made at the seminar by sitting judge on the CCJ, Justice Winston Charles Anderson and Director of External Trade at the CARICOM Secretariat, Dr. Chantal Ononaiwu, who spoke about the application of the CCJ Agreement and the provisions of the RTC that empowered the free movement of nationals, goods and services.

Both spoke on the importance of the CCJ in presiding over matters where the rights of a CARICOM national or entity are breached. In this regard, Vice President of the GMSA, Rafeek Khan, pointed to the situation of Guyana’s inability to export honey to TT and sought the opinion of Dr. Ononaiwu and Justice Anderson.

According to business officials in Guyana, the issue continues to persist, notwithstanding the commitment by nations of the region to address non-tariff barriers to advance the movement of food to increase the consumption of regionally produced products, or Guyana and TT signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last year to resolve trade restrictions.

Dr. Ononaiwu noted her preference not to get into details on the specifics of the problem, but highlighted that the issue is being dealt with by COTED.
The official acknowledged that this particular problem facing Guyana is a prime example of issues that continue to persist in the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME)
“Honey has been a long-standing issue on the agenda of the COTED.
“Under the Treaty, COTED has the responsibility to manage and oversee the operations of the CSME and that responsibility requires dealing with issues that concern the CSME not operating the way that it should. Without getting into how it’s [honey issue] being dealt with, I would just indicate that this is a perfect example of a matter that is consistently on the agenda of the community. It’s a complex system and its resolution requires certain steps being taken.”

Trinidad and Tobago’s honey, bees and bee products are guided by the island’s age-old Food and Drug Act of 1960 and Beekeeping and Bee products Act of 1935.
Both of these, however, are not in keeping with the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC) as highlighted by COTED and has led to the total prohibition of honey from other countries to the island.

In 2012, a portion of Grenada’s honey was confiscated, while a U.S.$3,000 fine was imposed on Guyanese company Laparkan in 2015 for coming within one mile of the island’s shores.
COTED has since stipulated that Trinidad and Tobago’s legislation be amended to provide for the trade in honey from its fellow member states, however the conditions have not changed.