JTI Working to Protect Brand Jamaica in Europe

Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI) is working with the Jamaican Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) and the Jamaican embassies in Europe to protect ‘Brand Jamaica’ in Europe.
JTI European Regional Manager, Laurence Jones, speaking at a ‘Gathering of Young Minds’ networking session at the Jamaican High Commission in London, England recently, said that abuse of the Jamaica brand is one of the key issues preventing the full penetration of Jamaican goods into the European market.
“There are a number of issues preventing our full penetration into the European market. These include the lack of consistent production and quality and European manufacturers abusing our brand. JIPO, as well as our embassies in Europe and my office, are lobbying to introduce Geographical Indicators (GI), so that anybody, who claims to have a Jamaican product must prove that it originates from Jamaica,” he explained.
He noted that the abuse of Jamaican brands could have a negative impact on Jamaican exporters, as products which are of inferior quality will leave consumers with a wrong image of Jamaican production standards, causing the brands to lose value.
Turning to attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), Mr. Jones said that this has been particularly difficult since October 2008, owing primarily to the international financial crisis. However, he said the JTI European office generated $32 billion worth of investment between April 2008 and April 2009.
According to Mr. Jones, the island had also been able to attract a number of smaller FDI projects primarily in the manufacturing sector.
The ‘Gathering of Young Minds’, is a networking event organised by the Jamaican High Commission in London to bring together young professionals and students, who are Jamaicans or of Jamaican heritage from across the United Kingdom to interact and exchange ideas.