As BSJ's clients are manufacturers, producers and agro-processors, the BSJ EPA portal focuses on providing information related to the the EPA agreement most relevant to these stakeholders; these are the provisions relating to trade in goods, which are as follows:

• Duties - duty- and quota-free market access for all CARIFORUM goods;

• Reciprocity - CARIFORUM will also provide duty- and quota-free market access for 86.9% of goods originating in the EU (by January 2033);

• Asymmetry - CARIFORUM has a 25 year phased reduction period for the elimination of tariffs on goods originating in the EU. This significant time period is in place to both enable businesses the time to manage competition from imports from the EU and to provide governments with the opportunity to put other fiscal arrangements in place to make up for the loss of revenues from tariffs;

• Exclusions - Tariffs will not be removed on 13.1% of goods. These goods are considered sensitive. For Jamaica, the exclusion list includes fresh fruits and vegetables, some beverages, some garments, a number of processed agricultural products, fish, chemicals and furniture. 75% of CARIFORUM's agricultural and fisheries products have been excluded from liberalization;

• Non-Tariff Barriers - Import and export licences requirements, which can equally impede trade, are no longer required;

• Rules of Origin - The EPA establishes relaxed rules of origin for CARIFORUM producers, given the region's heavy reliance on externally sourced production inputs, enabling CARIFORUM producers to benefit from the preferential treatment provided for in the EPA;

• Technical Barriers to Trade - The EPA provides a commitment to designate contact points to facilitate the exchange of information regarding technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures as outlined in the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement. The BSJ serves as the WTO-TBT focal point;

• Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures - The EPA provides a commitment to cooperate in establishing harmonized SPS measures both in the EU and between CARIFORUM States. Equally, the EPA provides a commitment to facilitate the recognition of equivalence of specified SPS measures;

• Development Support - Technical and financial support has been extended by the EU to assist CARIFORUM members in developing centers of excellence for the assessment of goods with respect to market entry standards and to support the private sector's capacity to comply with international regulatory requirements, among other areas to which the EU provides support.

• By Jan. 1, 2009: 52.8% zero rated (51% were already subject to an applied rate of 0% before the EPA negotiations);

• By Jan. 1, 2011: Phased reductions begin; By Jan. 1, 2013 (5 years): 56% to be liberalized;

• By Jan. 1, 2018 (10 years): 61.6% to be liberalized;

• By Jan. 1, 2023 (15 years): 82.7% to be liberalized;

• By Jan. 1, 2028 (20 years): 84.6% to be liberalized;

• By Jan. 1, 2033 (25 years): 86.9% to be liberalized; 13.1% excluded from liberalization.

Major Provisions on Trade in Goods Under the EPA