Bridgetown.
Chairman of the Barbados Rum Committee Dr Frank Ward, thinks rum manufactures in the region could have a case against the United States at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
According to Ward, the subsidies for the rum industries in the US territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are severely impacting Barbados' own industry's ability to thrive and survive.
He explain to Trakker News that the Caribbean territories are currently paying on average US$200 per tonne on average for molasses, while the US territories with the subsidies being given to their industry, are paying only US$20 per tonne.
"We find that extremely difficult to compete with and it is a challenge at this point in time, we are appealing, not just to the Barbados rum industry but the CARIFORUM rum industry in general, to our governments to take this issue very seriously and to seek to have dialogue with the US Government with a view to resolving what we feel is an iniquitious and pernicious use of subsidies for multinational spirit companies and their rum production", Ward said.
He added that if the situation cannot be resolved via negotiations between the CARIFORUM Governments and the Government of the United States, the only option would be to take the case to the WTO.
