Required Report - public distribution

**Date:** 8/4/2005

**GAIN Report Number:** TD5004

TD5004

**Trinidad and Tobago**

**Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards**

**Country Report**

**2005**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Omar Gonzalez, Acting Director

Caribbean Basin ATO

**Prepared by:**

Omar Gonzalez, Acting /Director

**Report Highlights:**

\"Updated on: 08/04/05\"

\"Section Updated: Appendix III. Useful Websites/Links\"

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Miami \[C11\]

\[TD\]

**This report was prepared by the Caribbean Basin Agricultural Trade
Office (CBATO) of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)/U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) in Miami, Florida for U.S. exporters of domestic
food and agricultural products. While every possible care was taken in
the preparation of this report, information provided may not be
completely accurate either because policies have changed since its
preparation, or because clear and consistent information about these
policies was not available. It is highly recommended that U.S. exporters
verify the full set of import requirements with their foreign customers,
who are normally best equipped to research such matters with local
authorities, before any goods are shipped. FINAL IMPORT APPROVAL OF ANY
PRODUCT IS SUBJECT TO THE IMPORTING COUNTRY'S RULES AND REGULATIONS AS
INTERPRETED BY BORDER OFFICIALS AT THE TIME OF PRODUCT ENTRY.**

**SECTION I. FOOD LAWS**

Trinidad & Tobago is fairly receptive to imports of U.S. agricultural
products. Initially, the level of scrutiny and checks on imported
products can be quite intense. However, once the importer can
demonstrate a successful track record of compliance, the import flow
becomes much smoother. Enforcement of labeling requirements is carried
out mostly at the port of entry but routine and random checks at the
retail and wholesale levels are also conducted. The government prefers
to review new-to-market items before allowing entry. Laboratory testing,
at the government's discretion, may be required for new products. In
such cases, products are usually detained until laboratory results
become available. In general, Trinidad & Tobago follows internationally
accepted food standards and may also refer to Canadian, U.S., and
European standards as well.

Imports of food and beverage products into Trinidad & Tobago are
governed by a variety of laws. The most comprehensive of these is the
Food & Drug Act of 1960 and its implementing regulations, which
encompasses practically all processed foods. The Ministry of Health's
Chemistry, Food & Drugs Division (commonly known as \"Food & Drugs\") is
the agency charged with implementing and enforcing this legislation. The
Ministry of Health also enforces the Pesticide & Toxic Chemical Act of
1979. The Animal Disease Importation Act of 1954 and its Animal Control
Regulations deal with the importation of all animal by-products.
Finally, the Plant Protection Act of 1975 and its implementing
regulations cover the importation of plant products such as produce and
grains. These last two legislative pieces are enforced by the Ministry
of Food Production and Marine Resources' Veterinary Service and Plant
Quarantine Service, respectively.

**SECTION II. LABELING REQUIREMENTS**

###### A. General Requirements

Labeling of food products is governed under the umbrella of the Food &
Drug Act and requirements are set forth in Chapter 30:01, Part II,
Section 16 of the Food and Drug regulations. A key requirement is that
all products be labeled in English. Multilingual labels are acceptable
as long as English is one of the languages included on the label. In
such cases, the English portion need not appear on the main panel.
Standard U.S. labels are acceptable and are generally viewed as
containing more information than what is required by Trinidad & Tobago
standards. Following is a summary of the information required on all
food product labels:

[Main panel]{.underline}:

1\. Brand name or trade name of the product.

2\. Common name of the product (the name by which the food is generally
known).

3\. Net contents of the package in terms of weight, volume or number.

*Please note that if a liquid packaged with the food product is to be
consumed with the food, the drained weight of the food should be stated.
Net weight is not required if the quantity of food is less than 56 grams
or 56 ml.*

[Any panel, except the bottom]{.underline}:

4\. A complete list of ingredients in descending order of proportion by
weight or percentage.

*Please note that general descriptions of types of ingredients are
acceptable (i.e. starches, spices, etc.).*

5\. Name and address of the manufacturer, packer, etc.

Many U.S. products simply state the manufacturer's or packer's city and
state only. As is the case in many other countries, Trinidad & Tobago
health authorities require the country of origin to be explicitly stated
as part of the address. Therefore, either \"USA\" must be added to the
address or the label must contain statements such as \"Product of USA\"
or \"Made in USA\" in order to clearly identify the product's origin. In
cases where non-U.S. products are packed and shipped by U.S. companies,
the true country of origin should be specified so that the label is not
considered misleading.

6\. A declaration by name of any added Class II, Class III or Class IV
preservatives (i.e. sodium benzoate).

*The preservative classes above refer to the Canadian classification of
food additives which are listed in the following website:
[http://lois.justice.gc.ca/en/F-27/C.R.C.-c.870/]{.underline}*

7\. A declaration of any added food coloring or flavoring preparation.

8\. Expiration date.

*Open dating statements such as \"best if used by\" are acceptable.*

9\. Any storage instructions (i.e. \"keep frozen,\" \"refrigerate after
opening\").

[Any panel, including the bottom]{.underline}:

10\. Any batch or lot number.

Enforcement of labeling requirements is carried out mostly at the port
of entry. New-to-market players as well as new-to-market food products
are closely scrutinized until a track record of compliance can be
established at which time the level of scrutiny is usually relaxed.
Retail inspections, although less common, are also conducted at random.
Food and Drugs allows the use of stick-on labels in order to comply with
all the above requirements. However, stick-on label concessions are
temporary and are normally granted for only 2 to 3 months. Therefore,
U.S. companies seeking to export food products to Trinidad & Tobago over
the long run should label their products according to Trinidadian
requirements without the use of stick-on labels (to avoid any possible
complications at the port of entry).

U.S. exporters interested in shipping samples to Trinidad & Tobago to
conduct market tests for their products should be aware that samples
must meet all the basic labeling requirements outlined above. However,
Food & Drugs does make concessions in this regard. Requests for such
concessions should be made in writing to Food and Drugs (see Appendix
I). Similar written requests should also be made for institutional
packed products destined for the food service sector and unlabeled
(\"bright stack\") containers of food which are further processed or
repacked at Trinidad's Free Trade Zones or other locations. In most
instances bright stack products are allowed as long as the proper
assurances that a local labeling mechanism exists for these products.

B. Requirements Specific to Nutritional Labeling

The standard U.S. nutritional fact panel is fully acceptable in Trinidad
& Tobago. Food & Drugs does not have any specific nutritional
requirements at present and thus nutritional labeling is voluntary. This
is likely to change in the near future, however. Food & Drugs is
developing new compulsory standards for nutritional labeling, including
Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) requirements, modeled after U.S. and
Canadian standards. In the interim, the use of nutrient content claims
(i.e. \"low in saturated fat\"), absolute descriptors (i.e.
\"high-fiber\" or \"low fat and relative descriptors (i.e. \"*reduced*
sugar\" or \"*light* in sodium\") are all acceptable. Although no
written policy is in place for nutrient content claims, Food & Drugs
tends to follow Canadian standards in these matters.

Implied claims made on food labels are acceptable for the most part as
long as they are not deemed to be deceitful or confusing to the
consumer. Trinidadians tend to mirror the British code of conduct in
terms of regulating advertising. A government appointed committee is
also charged with overseeing advertising. While there are seldom any
major issues, the government does proceed cautiously in this regard.

A food product label exhibiting therapeutic claims is likely to result
in the product being classified as a pharmaceutical. Generally speaking,
Food & Drugs prefers not see any therapeutic claims made on food labels.
As mentioned earlier, it is strongly recommended that U.S. exporters
check with Food & Drugs in terms of the labeling compliance of their
products prior to shipping.

**SECTION III. PACKAGING AND CONTAINER REGULATIONS**

Trinidad & Tobago has no special packaging, waste disposal or recycling
regulations. Legislation which would provide a legal framework for
government regulation of these matters is reportedly under development.
Currently government agencies such as the Solid Waste Management Company
and the Environmental Management Agency have broad responsibilities in
these areas.

Manufacturers have the flexibility of using any packaging material as
long as it is acceptable for use with food products. PVC and similar
materials are acceptable.

####### SECTION IV. FOOD ADDITIVE REGULATIONS

The Trinidadian Ministry of Health has no specific regulations for food
additives and thus it does not maintain a positive or a negative list of
additives. As a general rule, health officials rely on internationally
accepted Codex Alimentarius (Codex) standards in determining whether to
accept or reject an additive. Codex, also known as the \"food code,\" is
a set of scientifically-based and globally-recognized standards, codes
of practice, guidelines and recommendations for food products. Health
officials may also rely on European and U.S. standards if certain
additive is not contemplated in Codex standards. U.S. exporters wishing
to introduce into Trinidad & Tobago a food product containing a new
additive should check first with Food & Drugs. Please see Appendix I for
contact information.

####### SECTION V. PESTICIDE AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS

The Ministry of Health is the agency charged with regulating
pesticide/contaminant residues in foodstuffs by way of the Pesticide &
Toxic Chemical Act of 1979 and its implementing regulations. Much the
same as with food additives, health officials also follow
internationally accepted Codex standards and refer quite often to U.S.
standards as well. Thus, health officials do not have their own list of
either accepted or banned products or of specific residue tolerance
levels. The Ministry of Health requires registration of all pesticides
and licensing of pesticide importers as well.

**SECTION VI. OTHER REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS**

Like the majority of Caribbean nations, Trinidad & Tobago does not
require sanitary registration of food products, relying instead on
relatively strict enforcement of it's import and labeling regulations.
When imported products are "queried" by Food and Drugs, additional
certifications may be required. All certificates should be originals.
However, certificates need not be authenticated by a Trinidadian
Consulate and they should be notarized only when they are from a
non-government entity. Additional certificates commonly requested
include but are not limited to:

*From the relevant government agency of the exporting country:*

1\. Health Certificate;

2\. Radioactive certificate;

3\. Fish Inspection Certificate;

4\. Meat Inspection Certificate;

5\. Phytosanitary Certificate;

6\. Aflatoxin Certificate;

7\. Other (based on the health situation in the exporting country).

*From the accredited laboratory or government agency of the exporting
country:*

A Certificate of Analysis.

*From the country of manufacture:*

A Certificate of Free Sale.

*From the Ministry of Food Production and Marine Resources of Trinidad &
Tobago:*

1\. Meat Import Permit;

2\. Dairy Import Permit.

Prior to exporting any agricultural product to Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.
exporters should ascertain whether their products will require a
phytosanitary import permit in the case of plant products or a
zoosanitary import permit in the case of animal products. These permits,
issued by the Ministry of Food Production and Marine Resources, are
normally obtained by the importing party. Products subject to this
requirement usually include fresh produce, onions, garlic, potatoes,
certain grains, meats, seafood and other agricultural products which may
pose a risk to either plant or animal health. Most consumer-ready foods
are exempt from this requirement.

Sanitary import permits usually specify any additional import
requirements such as export certifications from the country of origin.
USDA export certifications may be required for many of the same products
requiring import permits (i.e. rice, meats, etc.). Contact information
for the Veterinary and Plant Quarantine Services which regulate these
matters is provided in Attachment

I.

####### SECTION VII. OTHER SPECIFIC STANDARDS

Imports of virtually all food and beverage products are covered by
either the Food & Drug Act, the Pesticide & Toxic Chemical Act, the
Animal Disease Importation Act, or the Plant Protection Act mentioned
earlier. The only other issue which may at times come into play when
importing food and beverage products into Trinidad & Tobago is weights
and measures. This type of issue is normally handled by the Metrology
Unit of the Bureau of Standards. Contact information for this agency is
provided in Attachment I. As a general rule, the metric system is
preferred but other units of measure are also accepted.

####### SECTION VIII. COPYRIGHT AND/OR TRADEMARK LAWS

All trademarks and brand names registered in Trinidad & Tobago are
protected under the Trademark Act (Chapter 82:81) and its Amendments
(Act No. 17 of 1994; No. 25 of 1996; and No. 31 of 1997). Applications
for registration can be filed with the Intellectual Property Office of
the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs (see Appendix I
for contact information). Trinidad & Tobago uses the international
trademark classification of goods and services much the same as does the
United States. The cost of registration is TT\$300.00 (roughly
US\$50.00) for the first class of goods being applied for and TT\$100.00
(roughly US\$17.00) for each additional class. An uncontested trademark
registration will normally take about 6 months to be completed from the
time the application is originally filed. Initial registration of a
trademark is valid for ten years and registration is renewable
indefinitely for subsequent periods of 10 years each. Trademark
registration is voluntary but highly recommended. Trinidadian law allows
anyone to register trademarks but most individuals and corporations,
whether Trinidadian or foreign, do so through legal firms specializing
in this sort of work. A list of firms providing trademark registration
services is provided in Attachment II. For further information on the
trademark registration process, U.S. exporters should contact such firms
or the Intellectual Property Office.

Trinidad & Tobago is a party to the following international treaties
relating to trademarks:

1\. Nice Agreement concerning the International Classification of Goods
and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (1957).

2\. Vienna Agreement establishing an International Classification of the
Figurative Elements of Marks (1973).

3\. Trademark Law Treaty (1994).

**SECTION IX. IMPORT PROCEDURES**

The following documentation is normally required for food imports:

1\. Import License (if applicable)

*Certain products such as sugar, poultry, and certain dairy products may
require licensing by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.* *U.S.
exporters are urged to have the importing party ascertain whether any
license may be required prior to shipping any products.*

2\. Commercial Invoice

3\. Bill of Lading or Air Waybill

4\. Packing List

5\. Certificate of Origin

6\. Health or Sanitary Certificate (if applicable)

The entire import clearance process for foods can be difficult and
lengthy. Scrutiny, particularly for new-to-market items, can be intense.
Customs clearance usually takes about 3 to 5 days for most food
products. Perishable products are usually handled more expeditiously.
However, customs delays are not uncommon and payment of overtime fees
are often necessary in order to expedite the process. Use of a seasoned
customs broker/agent is key to ensuring an adequate flow through the
system. A list of customs/brokers agents can be found in Appendix II.
Figure 1 provides a simplified illustration of the flow of imported
foods through the different government agencies involved

**APPENDIX I. GOVERNMENT REGULATORY AGENCY CONTACTS**

Chemistry, Food & Drugs Division

Ministry of Health

92 Frederick Street

Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 623-5242 / 623-2834 / 624-5970 / 624-5968

Fax: 1 (868) 623-2477

E-mail: [cfdd@carib-link.net.tt]{.underline}

Veterinary Service

Ministry of Food Production and Marine Resources

St. Clair Circle, St. Clair

Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 628-4344

Fax: 1 (868) 628-1289

E-mail: <aphmalmr@tstt.net.tt>

Plant Quarantine Service

Ministry of Food Production and Marine Resources

Central Experiment Station

Centeno, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 646-4335 / 7

Fax: 1 (868) 646-1646

Intellectual Property Office

Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs

Registration House, 3rd Floor

72-74 Quay Streeet

Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.

E-mail: [info@ipo.gov.tt]{.underline}

Website: [http://www.ipo.gov.tt]{.underline}

Customs & Excise Division

Ministry of Finance

Nicholas Court, Independence Square

Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.

Tel: 1 (809) 625-3311

Fax: 1 (809) 625-6003

Trinidad & Tobago Bureau of Standards

Century Drive, Trincity Industrial Estate

Macoya, Tunapuna, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 662-8827 / 663-4835 / 663-4836

Fax: 1 (868) 663-4335

E-mail: [ttbs@carib-link.net]{.underline}

**APPENDIX II. OTHER IMPORT SPECIALIST CONTACTS**

A. U.S. Government Contacts

Caribbean Basin Agricultural Trade Office Paul Hoffman, Director

Foreign Agricultural Service E-mail: paul@cbato.net

U.S. Department of Agriculture

909 SE 1^st^. Ave Suite 720 Omar González, Deputy Director

Miami, FL 33131 E-mail: omar@cbato.net

Tel: (305) 536-5300

######## Fax: (305) 536-7577 Graciela Juelle, Admin. Assistant

E-mail: <cbato@cbato.net> E-mail: grace@cbato.net

website: [http://www.cbato.fas.usda.gov]{.underline}

Customs Advisory Team

U.S. Customs Service

Customs House

Nicholas Court, Abercromby Street

Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 625-6604

Fax: 1 (868) 625-8486

B. Trinidadian Law Firms Offering Trademark Registration Services

J.D. Sellier & Co.

Attorneys-at-Law

129-131 Abercromby Street

Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I.

###### Tel: 1 (868) 623-4283 / 7 

Fax: 1 (868) 625-2984, 623-4281

Fitzwilliam, Stone, Furness-Smith & Morgan

Attorneys-at-Law

36 Pembroke Street

Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 623-1918, 623-2425, 623-0606, 623-6158

Fax: 1 (868) 623-0606, 6524

Ashmead Ali & Co.

###### Attorneys-at-Law

21 E Pembroke Street

Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 623-5200, 623-6567, 625-5493

###### Fax: 1 (868) 625-7586

Pollonais & Blanc

Attorneys-at-Law

62 Sackville Street

Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 623-5461 / 1 / 2 / 3, 623-3586

Fax: 1 (868) 625-8415

Hamel-Smith & Co.

Attorneys-at-Law

19 St. Vincent Street

Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 623-4237 / 9

Fax: 1 (868) 627-8564, 625-0601

De Nobriga, Innis & Co.

Attorneys-at-Law

90 Edward Street

Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I.

###### Tel: 1 (868) 623-4802 

Fax: 1 (868) 625-0329

*While it is impractical to provide a complete list of Trinidadian firms
which offer trademark registration services, this partial list is
furnished with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and
no guarantee of reliability is implied.*

C. Trinidadian Customs Brokers/Agents

Customs Brokerage & Logistics Services

17 B Chacon St.

San Fernando, Trinidad, W.I.

Telefax: 1 (868) 652-1120

E-mail: [twsl@tstt.net.tt]{.underline}

Website: [http://www.transworld-services.netfirms.com]{.underline}

M. Ali Customs Brokerage Services

#7 Sutton St.

San Fernando, Trinidad, W.I.

Telefax: 1 (868) 657-7773

E-mail: arisa_ad@yahoo.com

Skyline Freight & Management Limited

East of Domestic Terminal

Caroni North Bank Road

Piarco, Trinidad, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 669-3221 / 0004 / 0007

Fax: 1 (868) 669-2003

E-mail: [sf@sfml.com]{.underline}

Website: [http://www.sfml.com]{.underline}

D.G.'s Customs Brokerage

Suite 57/58, Cruise Ship Complex

Wrightson Road

Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 627-5928

Fax: 1 (868) 625-4911

E-mail: [dgcusbo@tstt.net.tt]{.underline}

Geo. F. Huggins Customs Brokerage Ltd.

CHIC Building, 63 Park Street

Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 623-8881 / 7331

Fax: 1 (868) 624-2557

E-mail: [gfhcust@carib-link.net]{.underline}

Louis Clarke Associates Co. Ltd.

19 Marli Street

Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 628-5050 / 9046

Fax: 1 (868) 622-7966

E-mail: [lca@tstt.net.tt]{.underline}

Vertex Cargo Networks Ltd.

Suite 20, Golden Doors Plaza

6 Frederick Street

Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I.

Tel: 1 (868) 625-9894

Fax: 1 (868) 625-7027

E-mail: [mars@tstt.net.tt]{.underline}

While it is impractical to provide a complete list of Trinidadian
customs agents, this partial list is furnished with the understanding
that no discrimination is intended and no guarantee of reliability is
implied.

**APPENDIX III. USEFUL WEBSITES/LINKS**

A. U.S. Government websites/links.

1\. [http://www.cbato.fas.usda.gov]{.underline}

Caribbean Basin Agricultural Trade Office website. This site offers
several programs and services for U.S. suppliers seeking to export food
products to the Caribbean. It also provides a link to USDA's Foreign
Agricultural Service (FAS) website
([http://www.fas.usda.gov]{.underline}) providing additional information
on the subject.

2\. <http://www.state.gov/p/wha/ci/c2899.htm>

U.S. Department of State website. This site offers general background
information on Trinidad & Tobago.

3\. [http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook]{.underline}

Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook website. The World Factbook
provides general information on Trinidad & Tobago and other countries
around the globe.

B. Non-U.S. Government websites/links.

1\. [http://www.gov.tt/ttgov/]{.underline}

Official website of the Government of Trinidad & Tobago. This site
provides general information on government agencies with link to their
websites.

2\. Website: [http://www.ipo.gov.tt]{.underline}

Trinidad & Tobago Intellectual Property Office website. This site
provides general information on trademark registration, including
answers to frequently asked questions.