Late last year, we told you that the Belize Government launched a lawsuit against St. Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad at the Caribbean Court of Justice. That's after these fellow CARICOM member-countries refused to purchase sugar from the CARICOM market.
According to the then Agriculture Minister Godwin Hulse, these CARICOM states had both been buying from Guatemala without paying the tariffs required. Well, a Government press release from today says that Belize and the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis have settled that trade dispute with Belize over brown sugar, which had been ongoing in the Caribbean Court of Justice.
Belize had sued Saint Kitt and Nevis, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and CARICOM alleging that the two CARICOM member-states were importing brown sugar from countries outside the Single Market without imposing the 40% Common External Tariff. Belize alleged that because of this treaty violation, Belize Sugar Industries Limited and Santander Sugar were losing sales to these countries. It was also alleged that the CARICOM Secretariat had failed to ensure that the Common External Tariff was imposed by St. Kits and Trinidad and Tobago.
A government press release says, quote, "Belize is seeking a ruling from the CCJ that requires the full application of the 40% CET on Brown Sugar imported from non-CARICOM sources..."
According to the Belize Government, shortly after the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis was notified about the legal action taken by Belize at the CCJ, they commenced discussions with Belize on a possible out-of-court settlement. The two sides talked, and reached an agreement.
The Government of Belize says, quote, "This out-of-court settlement is a major victory for the sugar industry of Belize, which has been disadvantaged by imports of sugar from non-CARICOM sources, including Guatemala, as this sugar is displacing regionally produced sugar from the CARICOM Single Market." End quote.
