The third round of trade negotiations between CARICOM and Canada will take place in Ottawa from April 4-8, 2011. CARICOM has submitted draft proposals on various issues like rules of origin and sanitary measures. Prior to the round, CARICOM will hold technical working group meetings, including one on services and investment from March 21-25. The textual discussions during the third round should help both sides identify areas of mutual interest. Later this year, there will also be a private sector business forum in Canada to foster business ties between CARICOM and Canadian companies.

1. OFFICE OF TRADE NEGOTIATIONS
Press Release
2nd Floor, PCJ Building 1st Floor, Speedbird House
36 Trafalgar Road Independence Square
Kingston 5, JAMAICA Bridgetown, BARBADOS
OTN Press/News Releases are available on the OTN’s website at www.crnm.org
Contact:
Marsha Drakes, Tel: (246) 430-1678
marsha.drakes@crnm.org
For Immediate Release: No. 01/2011
March 17, 2011
CANADA WILL BE THE STAGE OF THIRD ROUND
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS – The Third Round of Negotiations of a Trade and Development
Agreement between CARICOM and Canada will be held in Ottawa, Canada on 4-8 April
2011.
Consistent with the agreement struck between both Sides during the Second Round of
Negotiations, this Round will launch substantive textual negotiations. In this regard,
CARICOM has submitted draft text proposals on Rules of Origin; Transparency in
Government Procurement; Safeguards; Agriculture and Fisheries; Alcoholic Beverages;
Technical Barriers to Trade; Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS); Facilitation of
Business Persons; and Dispute Avoidance and Dispute Settlement. These draft text
proposals have been approved by the Council for Trade and Economic Development
(COTED). CARICOM also expects to table its text proposals on Development Cooperation
and Services and Investment during the Round.
Prior to the commencement of the Round, the Region will be finalizing its technical
preparations with the convening of a Services and Investment Technical Working Group
(TWG) Meeting on 21-25 March, 2011. Final technical preparations for the upcoming
Round in other subject areas were also undertaken earlier this year in Barbados. The second

2. meeting of the TWG on Trade Related Issues was convened on 8-9 February, 2011, and the
third TWG meeting on Institutional Issues and Dispute Settlement was convened on 10-11
February, 2011.
The textual discussions expected during the third Round should help both Sides to more
clearly identify the emergent areas of mutual interest. The results from the third Round may
also likely inform the scope of discussions during a planned two day event that will bring
together the private sectors from both Sides later this year. This Private Sector Business
Forum, considered an important activity under CARICOM’s calendar during these
negotiations, is designed as part of CARICOM’s overall development thrust to strengthen
the trade and investment opportunities of the regional business sector.
Building on former similar initiatives such as the CARICOM-Canada Business Forum held
in November 2008 in Trinidad and Tobago, the upcoming Business Forum which will be
held in Canada, is expected to foster greater synergies and deepen dialogue between the
Canadian and CARICOM business sector. Furthermore, by bringing together key actors,
umbrella organisations, sectors and other interest groups from within the CARICOM and
Canadian business sectors, it is hoped that the event will result in the identification of
tangible business opportunities between CARICOM and Canada. Discussions during the
Forum will also help to shape the negotiating emphases and technical direction of the
negotiations in future Rounds and by so doing, complement the political and technical
directorship of the negotiations.
****