A number of Saint Lucian businesses will head off on a two-day business reconnaissance mission to Barbados from Monday..
These companies comprise manufacturers of awnings, PVC cladding and railings, natural health products, juices and water, paper products and craft items, wedding planning and marketing communications services. The mission is vital to the quest for new markets within CARICOM in the first instance, for Saint Lucian producers offering competitive products and services
The aim of the mission is to explore opportunities to develop relationships with potential Barbadian importers, distributors and trade officials. To that end, the Saint Lucian companies will meet with several market players including a number of Barbadian companies, to establish critical linkages for distribution of goods and services as well as potential joint ventures, which they hope will result in mutually profitable and sustainable relationships between Barbados and Saint Lucia.
The Barbados trade mission is being undertaken through the facilitation of the Saint Lucia Trade Export Promotion Agency (TEPA), and comes on the heels of the recent-launch by TEPA of an Exporters Handbook and TEPA’s rebranded website that makes up-to- the- minute trade market intelligence available to Saint Lucian producers and entrepreneurs.
TEPA is a unit of the Ministry of Commerce, Business Development, Investment and Consumer Affairs in Saint Lucia and has as one of its mandates the facilitation of increased exports for Saint Lucian businesses. The overall objective is to increase aggregate volume and value of exports from Saint Lucia. Saint Lucia TEPA works to promote and expand business in export markets around the world.
TEPA aspires to increase local exports, to assist local businesses improve profitability and long term sustainability, thus making a direct and valuable contribution to the Saint Lucian economy.