PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — The Trinidad and Tobago government Friday said it had not received any official complaint from Jamaica regarding allegations that local flour manufacturers were dumping their products on the Jamaican market.

Earlier this year, the Jamaican manufacturers said they intend to approach the island’s Anti-Dumping and Subsidies Commission on the issue.

Dumping is a kind of predatory pricing, especially in the context of international trade. It occurs when manufacturers export a product to another country at a price below the normal price.

“We’re getting dumped products out of Trinidad. We’ve approached Jamaica Flour Mills (JF Mills) to go as an industry to complain to the Anti-Dumping Commission about the situation because they are causing material damage to the industry here,” Richard Pandohie, the general manager of Seprod Limited said in a newspaper’s February edition.

The newspaper reported that that at least two brands of flour are being sold at below the domestic prices. It said Caribbean Queen counter flour is produced by Caribbean Flour Mills Limited, a privately-owned mill in Trinidad, while Special Palm Flour, produced by the Trinidad-based National Flour Mills Limited, are sold here in 45-kilogram bags.

But Trade and Investment Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon told Parliament that while she was aware of the newspaper report “it is to be noted that Trinidad and Tobago has not received any formal communication from the government of Jamaica on the claims being made”.

She said that the Ministry of Trade and Industry has been in contact with the local companies named – Caribbean Flour Mills Limited also known as Republic Grains Investment Limited and National Flour Mills – and that “both these producers have denied the allegations” adding that ‘it should also be noted Trinidad and Tobago conducted a trade mission to Jamaica during April 17-21.

“The purpose of the mission was to provide opportunities for further expansion and diversification of exports to Jamaica as well as to strengthen and improve the business investment relations between both countries”.

She told legislators that the allegations of dumping of flour by Trinidad and Tobago “was not raised by Jamaica during the trade mission”.

She said following Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s official visit to Jamaica in 2016, an action plan was developed to improve the trade relations between the two countries and since then Jamaica has submitted a proposed trade complaints mechanism “and this mechanism is currently being finalised by both countries”.

She said the proposed mechanism aims to provide guidelines that will allow for the quick resolution of trade complaints between the two countries.

“Upon implementation it is expected that issues which arise during the course of trade between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica will be handled in a more efficient and timely manner,” she said.