PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Dominica-based company, DCP Successors Limited (DCPS), has taken the Jamaica government before the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), alleging that Kingston is violating the provisions of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas as it pertains to the manufacture of soap.
The CCJ said that the matter, which will begin on Monday, is the first in-person hearing conducted since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
It said the matter involves utilizing the Court’s Original Jurisdiction, which is used as an international tribunal interpreting the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the regional integration movement, CARICOM.
The CCJ has exclusive authority to adjudicate upon disputes arising from the interpretation and application of the treaty, which governs the operation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) that allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labor, and services across the region.
In this case, DCPS, a company duly incorporated under the laws of Dominica, manufactures various soap products, and it uses a process called saponification to make generic soap noodles which can then be scented and molded.
DCPS contends that the Jamaica government is breaching the provisions of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas by exempting soap manufacturers in that country from paying the Common External Tariff (CET) on imported soap noodles that do not qualify for community treatment as imported products.
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