The Role of THE certification unit TRADE AGREEMENTS & Certificates OF ORIGIN

1. The Role of THE certification unit TRADE AGREEMENTS & Certificates OF ORIGIN Presenters: Mr. Douglas Webster Ms. Stacey-Ann Binns

2. Overview • About Trade Board Limited • Export Licences (List of items) • Validity periods (How long they last) • Requirements (what do you need) • Import Licences (List of items) • Sugar and Milk Powder Regimes • Certificates of Origin & Rules of Origin • Application for a Certificate of Origin • Trade Agreements – CARICOM, CBI, CARIBCAN, GSP & (BTAs) with Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela • Questions and Answers

3. The Trade Board Limited Government Agency , operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF)

4. Mission Statement The mission of the Trade Board Limited is to facilitate the increase of trade nationally, regionally and internationally through the issuance of licenses and certificates of origin consistent with Government’s policies and international agreements.

5. Vision To be a national focal point for facilitation and support of modern commerce through trade, export enhancement, rules observance and a repository and disseminator of national, regional and international trade-related information.

6. Role and Function The Trade Board Limited is a portfolio agency of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF) and has the responsibility for: • Interfacing with the commercial sector to facilitate commerce. • Issuing import and export licences for specific items that impact negatively on the environmental, social and economic conditions of the country.

7. Role and Function Cont’d • Issuing Certificates of Origin for Jamaican products exported under various preferential trade agreements. • Registering and maintaining a list of importers/manufacturers that use milk powder and refined sugar as raw materials for the production of specified products in accordance with the regulations governing pre and post entry verifications.

8. Role and Function Cont’d • Establishing and operating a Central Clearing House for Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and a registration and certification authority for public keys (electronic transactions). • Ensuring that Jamaica meets its international obligations under the following: -WTO Agreement on Rules of Origin -WTO Agreement on Import Licensing

9. Export Licences The products which require an export licence are as follows: • Scrap Metal (Incl. Scrap Batteries) • Scrap Gold/Silver • Coffee and Pimento• Live animals • Endangered Species• Brown sugar• Petroleum Oils• Ammunition (explosives and firearms) • Eggs (N.O.P.)

10. Export Licences Cont’d The products which require an export licence are as follows: • Eggs (N.O.P.)• Antique furniture• Ores – Minerals and metals including Bauxite, Alumina and Gypsum• Paintings (antique) • Plasma – in any form • Wood – Lignum vitae and log wood only • Motor Vehicles • Jewellery (Excluding those from earth metals) • Shells (subject to Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species administered by NEPA) Visit Website - http://www.tradeboard.gov.jm

11. Expiry Date of Export Licences Note* that the expiry date of an export license is product specific product and depends also on the parameters of the support letter issued by the relevant authority. Therefore, the expiry date can vary from one (1) month to (1) one year.

13. ImportLicence • There are more than thirty (30+) items now on the List of Items that Require Import Licensing. • Import licensing is one of our obligations under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Multilateral Agreement on Trade in Goods. The work of the Agency is therefore conducted in keeping with international trade rules.

14. The products which require an import licence

15. The products which require an import licence

16. The products which require an import licence

17. The products which require an import license

18. The products which require an import licence

19. Preferential Exports

20. Certificates of Origin What is a Certificate of Origin? • An important international trade document attesting that goods in a particular export shipment have been wholly obtained, produced, manufactured or processed in a particular country in accordance with the prescribed rule of origin. (International Chamber of Commerce -ICC) • Also a declaration by the exporter

21. Types of CO’s • Non-preferential: issued for goods which will not enjoy any preferential treatment • Preferential: issued in the context of preferential trade agreements which will enable exporters to benefit from tariff exemption or reduction for eligible exports NOTE: CO’s may be requested by Customs administration, importers, freight forwarders or banks for clearance of letters of credit

22. Application for a Certificate of Origin • Goods to be exported must be analyzed by the Certification Unit of the Trade Board to determine qualification for duty free entry. • Exporters are required to complete a Product Analysis Form for each product to determine the origin criterion. (Forms along with instructions for its completion are available on the TBL website - http://www.tradeboard.gov.jm • There is a re-verification period of three (3) years

23. PRODUCT ANALYSIS FORM

24. Application Process: Certificate of Origin • The completed form along with supporting documents i.e. Import Entries (C87 Forms) and supporting invoices etc. must be submitted to the Certification Unit for vetting and verification. • Additionally an officer will visit your facility to verify that the production process is in conformity with the analysis submitted.

25. Application for a Certificate of Origin • After verification of the analysis and examination of the production process, exporters are advised in writing whether or not the product qualifies for preferential treatment and the origin criterion if applicable. • All exporters making application for a certificate of origin must be duly registered by JAMPRO. 

26. Exporting to the World Documentation • Certificate of Origin • Commercial Invoice Certificates applicable to the various schemes • CARICOM – CARICOM Certificate of Origin • Caribbean Basin Initiative – GSP Form A • CARIBCAN -- GSP Form A • Generalised System of Preferences – GSP Form A • Spanish Agreements*

27. Spanish Trade Agreements • CARICOM/Venezuela • CARICOM/Dominican Republic • CARICOM/Colombia • CARICOM/Cuba • CARICOM/Costa Rica

28. How Do I Qualify for Preference By meeting the prescribe rule of origin: “Goods that are given preference through the issuance of a certificate of origin must comply with the rules of origin as set in a particular trade agreement.”

29. Questions?

30. Contact Information Trade Board Limited 10th Floor Air Jamaica Building 72 Harbour Street Kingston Tel: 967-0507 Fax: 948-7486 Email: info@tradeboard.gov.jm Website: www.tradeboard.gov.jm

31. THANK YOU!!!