DDL slams T&T for rej
company exported four 20-foot shipping containers, two with milk and two with flavoured water to a Trinidadian business enterprise, in response to a demand for these products by Trinidadian consumers.
“Regrettably, the two containers of packaged milk products were denied entry and returned to Guyana, while the bottled water products have been restricted from sale pending the completion of an unconventionally exhaustive examination of these bottled water products,” Samaroo lamented.
“On May 13, DDL engaged with a team from the Ministry of Trade of Trinidad and Tobago to discuss the rejection of our milk exports. We were advised of an extremely onerous and stringent process for the importation of animal and animal-based products based on the provisions of Trinidad and Tobago’s Animal Disease and Importation Act 2020. DDL find these requirements contrary to the spirit of intra-regional trade especially since we are reliably informed that Guyana has no such reciprocal requirements for the importation of similar products from Trinidad and Tobago”, he added.
Virtual meeting
On Monday, DDL held a virtual meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Trade of T&T to understand the reason for the rejection of the milk exported to the country and the process to be followed to have the company’s products added to the list of approved imports.
DDL was advised of the following: “1) The Animal Disease and Importation Act 2020 of Trinidad and Tobago prohibits the import of animal and animal-based products into Trinidad and Tobago subject to stringent and onerous requirements which are not reciprocal for such products being imported into Guyana. 2) The company needs to send a formal request to the Ministry of Agriculture of Trinidad and Tobago stating the products the company is seeking to import into the country. 3) The Ministry will advise on the documents to be submitted which will be used to undertake a desk review and risk assessment of the company. 4) Based on the risk assess