Exporters are being left to fend for themselves

Dec 16, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Peeping Tom…

Kaieteur News- Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has a new mantra: exporters must advocate. Fight for fair access within CARICOM. Challenge unjust barriers. It sounds empowering. It shifts responsibility. It also ignores reality. Advocacy alone cannot dismantle restrictive trade barriers rooted in systemic abuse of phytosanitary regulations.

But what is a phytosanitary measure? It’s a legal, regulatory, or administrative action. Designed to protect plants from pests, diseases and harmful organisms. Governments enforce them.   The goal? Stop the spread of pests across regions or borders. Measures vary from outright bans to quarantine requirements, fumigation requirements and processing standards.

It is asking too much of exporters to take the lead in dismantling trade-restrictive phytosanitary measures. It is the government which must lead in this regard.

Jagdeo must know this. The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO) exists for a reason. It protects against arbitrary barriers. It requires measures to be science-based, transparent and non-discriminatory.

The SPS provides safeguards. Governments must base their sanitary and phytosanitary measures on scientific evidence. Measures must be supported by risk assessments and cannot be arbitrary or unjustified. For example, a country cannot ban imports of a particular fruit without demonstrating that it poses a scientifically verified risk to plant health.

The SPS Agreement encourages countries to align their measures with international standards and guidelines. This harmonization reduces the likelihood of arbitrary or protectionist policies. It is for Guyana to push CARICOM in this direction. It is for Guyana to ensure that this harmonization is endorsed within the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC).

The SPS Agreement also provides that measures must not unfairly discriminate between countries where identical or similar conditions exist. For instance, if a country allows imports from one country with similar pest risks, it must not arbitrarily restrict imports from another country under similar circumstances.

Under the SPS, governments must ensure that their measures are no more trade-restrictive than necessary to achieve their health objectives. They must explore alternative measures that address risks without unnecessarily impeding trade.

Words mean nothing without action. The Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC) promises free trade. It envisions economic integration. The SPS principles can strengthen it. Yet, Jagdeo and his government have done little to ensure that CARICOM aligns with the SPS Agreement.

The RTC itself is clear. It prohibits measures that unfairly restrict trade. But it needs teeth. Without explicit integration of SPS principles, it lacks the strength to deter unfair practices. Jagdeo must know this. He knows that Guyana can push for reforms. Regional regulations that mandate adherence to SPS rules. Yet, he deflects. Why?

Guyana itself is no stranger to violating the RTC. Trade barriers have been erected. Commitments ignored. Regional integration undermined. The Caribbean Court of Justice has issued rulings against Guyana. Not once. More than once. How can a country with such a record demand compliance from others? The hypocrisy is glaring. It undermines moral authority. It erodes credibility.

President Irfan Ali once declared a mission. He would dismantle barriers to trade within CARICOM. He spoke of a CARICOM market liberated from unfair restrictions. The promise was grand. The delivery has been abysmal.

Jagdeo should remember those promises. He should recognize their failure. Instead, he shifts the burden onto exporters. A convenient diversion. A tactic of avoidance.

Exporters can advocate. They can lobby. They can even mount legal challenges. But they cannot enforce treaties. They cannot compel CARICOM states to comply with SPS principles. That is the government’s role. It is their duty to lead. To engage diplomatically. To negotiate reforms.

Failure to act has consequences. Guyanese goods face barriers in regional markets. Agricultural products are vulnerable. Perishable goods delayed. Opportunities lost. The economy suffers. Jagdeo’s rhetoric ignores this. He pretends advocacy is enough.

The solution is clear. Incorporate SPS principles into the RTC. Mandate adherence across CARICOM. Establish a regional mechanism to resolve disputes swiftly. Create penalties for non-compliance.

This requires leadership. Guyana must lead the charge. It must push for regional adoption of SPS standards. It must hold CARICOM states accountable. This is not an exporter’s job. It is a government’s job.

Jagdeo’s challenge to exporters is a distraction. The real challenge is his own. The challenge of leadership. The challenge of delivering on promises.

Regional trade depends on fair rules. Rules that prevent abuse. Rules that foster trust. The framework exists. The opportunity is clear. The question is simple: will Jagdeo and his government act? Or will they continue to pass the buck? If history is any guide, the answer is obvious. Leadership is absent. Responsibility is deflected. And exporters? Left to fend for themselves.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this newspaper.)

(Exporters are being left to fend for themselves)

(Exporters are being left)

 

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• administrative action, Peeping Tom, Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, themselves, World Trade Organization

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