JMEA celebrates National Exporters’ Month 2021
KINGSTON, Jamaica — As National Exporters’ Month is observed in May under the theme ‘Building A Sustainable Future Through Exports’, the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) says supporting the growth of Jamaican exports continues to be a crucial mandate.
“This May, we acknowledge and recognise the resilience and capabilities of our local exporters, as we celebrate National Exporters’ Month. The theme, ‘Building A Sustainable Future Through Exports’ echoes a fundamental truth, the building of a viable future for our nation requires the continued development of a robust export pillar,” the association said in a statement.
To mark this year’s observance, the JMEA said it will be hosting a series of activities specifically designed to assist exporters with boosting their export knowledge and capacity. This, it said, includes the Doing Business in Export Workshop series, which will analyse the intricacies of conducting export in regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
The association said it is also partnering with the Bureau of Standards Jamaica and the Jamaica Customs Agency to conduct information sessions on product/labelling standards and new developments that are required to become an authorised economic operator for exports.
The period will culminate with three virtual tours featuring Kingston Wharves Limited, Carita Jamaica Limited, and Tortuga Caribbean Rum Cake Jamaica Limited which will highlight innovations in the export experience and the key processes involved, the JMEA said.
Noting that although the recent national statistics on exports have not been encouraging with a 26.4 per cent decline in comparison to the 2019 period, the association said that they must still celebrate the improvements made in areas, such as food exports which gained an increase of 9 per cent, earning US$235.8 million.
“As we mark one year since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognise the valuable role exports have played in supporting the Jamaican economy. Exporters during that period tapped into their resilience, pivoted, developed new products, and accessed additional market opportunities.”
President of the JMEA, Richard Pandohie, in acknowledgement of National Exporters’ Month, stated “While it is important to assess the high points where exports are concerned, it is even more important to plan the road ahead for improving and sustaining our export performance. COVID has taught us many lessons and the biggest is the need for diversification of the Jamaican economy. A sharp and resilient recovery is hinged on many things. Export is one of them. As a nation, we need to drive the creation of value-added products and examine the national system in place to promote and support export-led growth.”
The association noted that export growth and diversification are essential to Jamaica’s economic recovery and said it will continue to support exporters and raise awareness on solutions that can help to empower Jamaica’s export landscape.