President Bharrat Jagdeo says that the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that seeks to implement a new trading agreement with CARIFORUM countries and Europe will undermine the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).This, according to Jagdeo, was a reflection of double standards,Wholesale China Jerseys, in that the Europeans say that they support regional integration and aspects of the EPA. Jagdeo was speaking at a lecture forum yesterday at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.In illustrating his point, Jagdeo noted that cumulation will result in countries having to lose value on their products. “If a country uses sugar from Guyana to make its sweets then that part (sugar) will not qualify for preferential prices when exported to Europe.”He noted also that the implementation of the CSME and the EPA will require the enacting of several pieces of legislation and if there are any conflicts with the CSME legislation, then the EPA will supersede that of the CSME.According to Jagdeo,Jerseys From China, the EPA is supposed to be developmental but several aspects of it are not.“They have double standards; they say they support regional integration but then they will not support regional production integration and regional trade,” Jagdeo stressed.“If there was not a threat of imposing tariffs on our exports, Guyana would never be part of the agreement,Cheap NFL Jerseys,” said Jagdeo. The agreement was described by Jagdeo as flawed and having very little developmental features.He was particularly upset with the aspect of the agreement which deals with reciprocity wherein some 87 per cent of the goods imported into the CARIFORUM countries will be done so duty free.“They now have duty free access into poor countries’ markets and they can now swamp it with their domestic products…It will have a big impact on balance of trade and payment with Europe.” The market will be liberalised in a phased approach and will be complete in 15 years.According to Jagdeo,Wholesale China Jerseys, Guyana will not sign any agreements until there are consultations here; these will commence on September 5th.He added that he will invite the Europeans and members of the regional negotiating machine that negotiated on behalf of CARIFORUM.“I want the people to understand what we are getting into,” said Jagdeo. He explained that if Europe imposed tariffs on Guyana’s exports in that market because it did not sign, the country which is a major commodity exporter would run risk of losing large sums of money and significant market.Jagdeo also told the gathering that in the Cotonou Agreement which was the last accord with Europe as it relates to trade, it insisted that future agreements with Europe will have to be WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible and they will not negotiate in future with ACP (African Caribbean and Pacific) as a bloc of countries.The ACP countries under the sugar protocol had preferential access to the European market. “Their preference was to negotiate with several regions and they set up six groupings to replace the traditional ACP…We have always resisted this because we thought that this was problematic because they (Europe) were breaking the ACP solidarity that we had…With solidarity comes strength especially with negotiations.”On the issue of WTO compatibility, Jagdeo noted that to argue for it from small developing countries was contrary to the spirit of successive international agreements which argued that there should be special and differential treatment for these countries as it relates to international trade.“We were always opposed to those features of the agreement…But they got it signed because of Europe’s significant negotiation power…The negotiations were uneven because it was between two unequal partners so they got their way…They can always threaten to cut off their market.”In describing how the European Union acted in bad faith,Cheap Jerseys From China, Jagdeo noted that in the Cotonou Agreement there was a clause that said should anything change to alter the economic circumstances of the agreement the parties should consult.“Just after signing it, Europe announced the ‘Everything but Arms Initiative’ that significantly altered some of the benefits received under Cotonou Agreement and they did that unilaterally although there was provision for consultations.”He noted also that they again unilaterally announced the 36 percent cuts in sugar which will be fully implemented at the end of next year. “We will lose US$40M per year because of the cuts that were done unilaterally.”Jagdeo also called for the reinstatement of ACP given that that would strengthen the negotiation power on the supply scale,<a href="http://www.cheapnfljerseysfactory.us.com/"