KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — The Jamaica Exporters Association (JEA) is aiming to increase the country’s export earnings from US$1.2 billion to US $2.5 billion by 2019.

Speaking at the Agency’s Global Talk Speaker series, on July 15 at the Terra Nova Hotel, President of the JEA, Michelle Chong, said the country will achieve this through collaboration and less competition.

“It is achievable, as long as the big companies contribute by mentoring smaller companies and small companies open up to linkages, cooperation and help each other,” Chong said.

She added that a working group of exporters – which include the JEA, Jamaica Manufacturers Association, Jamaica Promotions Corporation and the Jamaica Business Development Corporation – was established to spearhead the goal of increasing exports within the set timeline.

Chong further commented that local exporters have a market of 3.5 to 5 million Jamaicans in the Diaspora and an additional 7.4 billion people globally to export their products to.

“We need to let the world know, that we are committed to the development of this country. Our message right now is simply that Jamaica is open for export business,” she stated.

She said, companies should keep talking about exports and look for the opportunities everywhere.

Some of the nation’s key business leaders in the export industry such as Chairman of the newly established Economic Growth Council, Michael Lee Chin, Ricardo Nuncio of Red Stripe and John Pinto of Coca Cola, made presentations at the event.