Getting your products ready for export is no small feat, but you don’t have to figure it all out on your own! Stephen Dawkins, Vice President of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association in charge of Logistics and Exports, is on tonight’s episode of #MoneyMovesJa to tell us how!
Are your products up to international standards?
Even if your products meet all of the local standards, they may still not be ready for international markets.
Vice President of Logistics and Export at the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Stephen Dawkins says business owners will have to do a lot of research to determine if their products meet international standards.
“Yes, we have our Bureau of Standards (BSJ) that approves products for the shelves, however, to be listed in the international market there are multiple requirements that are needed,” he said.
Speaking on MoneyMovesJA, Dawkins noted that while there are some internationally recognised standards, some requirements will vary based on country.
For instance, he pointed out, food products entering the Canadian market must have bi-lingual labels in French and English, given that both languages are official languages of the country.
Similarly, products entering the European market have very specific labelling requirements.
“If it is a soda or a drink and it has a red flavouring, you have to specify what makes up that flavouring,” he explained.
Dawkins noted that exporting food products tends to be more complex for various reasons but that does not make it easier to get into other industries.
Additionally, Dawkins said it is more beneficial to businesses to export to countries that have trade agreements with Jamaica.
“Trade agreements are beneficial because when you get to that market you can compete with products that are in that market,” he said.
He noted that Jamaica has many trade agreements globally, but the countries most common export partners are the US, Canada, the UK and Caricom countries.
Dawkins explained that export to countries where there is no trade agreement means that business owners will have to absorb all the costs related to exporting.
He emphasised that business owners will need to carry out effective research and analysis to not only see if their products are ready for the international market but to also find the best market for their products.
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