Business Opportunities for Services under the EPA

The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) is implementing projects targeted towards increasing CARIFORUM exports to the European Union (EU), including initiatives aimed at sensitising business persons to the trade and investment opportunities within the EU market. Activities have included a study tour to Europe to expose Business Support Organisations (BSOs), and businesses in the Information & Computer Technology (ICT) and audio visual sectors to market opportunities within the EU market; the hosting of the 1st CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum; a number of trade awareness workshops in collaboration with the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and national standards institutes that looked at the impact of the CARIFORUM-EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and other recent trade agreements; and a new title in the TradeWins series “Overview of the CARIFORUM-EC EPA”.

Caribbean Export officials note that there is a significant range of service products on offer from the region and also of export opportunities available due to the signing of the CARIFORUM-EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the trade and development treaty which came into effect in December 2008.

But the Agency is not alone in this effort.  The International Trade Centre (ITC), the joint agency of the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations, is publishing a new Business Briefing series designed to help businesses in the region take advantage of export opportunities under the EPA.

The Business Briefing guide focuses on the services and investment commitments covered by the agreement, simplifying technical trade jargon into commonly understood language and outlining new opportunities for Caribbean businesses and, where relevant, the limitations that will apply to those opportunities.
 
Some of the services in which Caribbean business can invest, obtain employment or provide contractual services include:

• Advertising, Market Research and Management Consulting Services 
• Auditing and Taxation Services – accounting and book-keeping services, auditing services, taxation advisory services
• Engineering and Architectural Services – namely engineering services, integrated engineering services, architectural services, urban planning and landscape architectural services
• Environmental Services
• Health and Social Services
• Medical Services
• Other Business Services - such as computer and related services, advertising services and management consultancy services.
• Recreational , Cultural and Sporting Services
• Research and Development Services
• Tourism and Travel Related Services - hotel, restaurant, catering and beverage services, travel/tour operator agency, tourist guide and spa services (non-therapeutic massages) in EC countries.

These opportunities are subject to general reservation and certain limitations.

For further informatiom please visit the ITC website: http://www.intracen.org/btp/wtn/newsletters/business_briefing.htm.