Belize Exports First Shipment of Soybean Oil to Jamaica

Belmopan. January 28, 2019. The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development is pleased to announce that on Thursday, January 24, 2019, Belize exported five containers of crude soybean oil to Jamaica, making this the first ever shipment of soybean oil to the region.

The Directorate General for Foreign Trade (DGFT) monitors request from CARICOM States for suspension of the Common External Tariff (CET) to identify regional demand and potential export opportunities.  These regionally demanded products are shared with the productive sector and the public for expression of interest to supply. Bel-Car Exports and Imports in Spanish Lookout and Northern Grains Cooperative in Blue Creek, Orange Walk District responded with significant quantities to supply the Jamaican market, and after successfully meeting their import requirements were able to export crude soybean oil.

Since 2016, EXPORTBelize, a unit of BELTRAIDE, along with the Directorate General for Foreign Trade have been building awareness within both communities of the demand for both crude and refined soybean oil in the region through sensitization sessions as well as export opportunity handouts.

The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce, through these agencies, continue to facilitate export market entry requests as well as to actively seek export markets for local producers.

Ends