No Need to Worry About Ethanol Exports – US Trade Ambassador

Jamaica has no need to worry about a threat to its ethanol exports to the United States (US) as the country’s regulatory regime for imported ethanol is not likely to change in the near future.
US trade representative, Ambassador Ronald Kirk, gave this assurance when he met with Jamaica’s Ambassador to the US, His Excellency Anthony Johnson at the Embassy in Washington DC earlier this week.
Ambassador Kirk stated that the Congressional Committee, with authority to change the tariff structure, is “very solid on the issue and Jamaica had nothing to worry about”.
Ambassador Johnson, in welcoming the news, said that Jamaica is making every effort to increase its sugar cane production with the intention of boosting ethanol production.
Under the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), Jamaica and other Caribbean countries enjoy duty-free access for ethanol to the US market, while Brazil and other South American countries face a duty of 54 cents per gallon. Brazil has been calling for similar duty free access to the US.
During the courtesy call, Ambassador Johnson presented Ambassador Kirk with a copy of his book, ‘City of Kingston Souvenir’.