President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) William Mahfood has called for a temporary restriction on some goods from T&T over the alleged ill-treatment of Jamaicans at Piarco International Airport on March 21.
According to media reports, Mahfood wants some action against T&T until this country honours its obligations under the Caricom Single Market and Economy.
He said Jamaica must stand up for its rights is T&T continues to restrict free movement of Jamaican citizens.
His call followed complaints by two Jamaican nationals that they were ill-treated on their arrival at Piarco airport. The incident has let to calls in Jamaica for a boycott of goods from this country.
This is not the first time that there have been calls in Jamaica for a trade boycott of T&T. In 2013, Jamaican manufacturers raised concerns that T&T exporters from T&T were violating trade rules by misrepresenting products as being of Caricom origin, allowing them to benefit from lower customs duties and price advantages in their market.
Goods from Caricom member states which meet rules of origin are traded duty-free throughout the region but a common external tariff is usually applied on products originating from outside Caricom.
However, the T&T Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) denied the claims by their Jamaican counterparts.