Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 2016 - 2017

TRADE & EXPORT HOT SPOTS

with established suppliers. Given the importance that Cubans place on face-to-face meetings, it is a worthwhileeventforpotentialexporterstoassessthe Cubanmarketandevaluatetheirforeigncompetition. “We participated as an exhibitor at FIHAV in 2012 with the support of Caribbean Export. At this event, we received several proposals from different clients; they were attracted by the presentation and characteristics of the products and we were finally selected by one of them as a supplier,” says Kapril’s Jimenez who encourages exporters who want to export to Cuba to attend the trade show. To get to the point of being granted access toCuba, Baron Foods also attended several trade shows facilitated by Caribbean Export. Within the last two years, the company was selected by the Saint Lucia Trade and Export Promotion Agency to actively pursue entering the Cubanmarket. “This venture definitely pays dividends and has put us to the point where we are today,” Ramjattan says.

any market. Even before starting the export process, companies must assess their export readiness, research and select their target market, have a solid medium to long term strategy with the financial resources to execute it, and have sufficient production capacity and flexibility. When exporting to Cuba, however, businesses must also determine whether the goods they wish to export are controlled, prohibited or regulated, and if a permit, licence or certificate to export is required. “One must be export ready. Packaging and labelling must satisfy the Cuban market and must be able to ship by container loads,” Ramjattan adds. The Oficina Nacional de Normalización (National Standards Office) in Cuba sets regulations for the labelling and packaging of consumer goods. Those regulations are enforced at the port of entry, so products must comply with labelling requirements prior to being imported.

other challenge will be keeping prices competitive, as cheap, Chinese products are very prevalent in the Cuban market. Kapril has also had to compete with suppliers from more developed countries with well- presented and competitively priced products. But the CEO says the company overcame that barrier by improving its packaging and maintaining high quality to expand its market share. While it does its part to ensure that the company reaps success in Cuba, as it has locally and in Grenada, Dominica, and Trinidad and Tobago, Baron Foods believes regional governments can do more to help exporters access the Cubanmarket. “Governments can continue working with the Cuban administration to establish protocol arrangements for manufacturing firms within the region,” Ramjattan says. For her part, Jimenez says she wants to see a trade agreement signed between the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

Doing business with Cuba successfully requires a great deal of planning, as is the case for entering

Now that it’s ready for its products to hit the shelves in Cuba, Baron Foods acknowledges the

Dawne Parris is a media and communications consultant with over 15 years’ experience. She is founder and Managing Director of Impressions Media.

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