A nRGo n nD FREI cH wOTbenoac

 ~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature


Christmas rush is on for cargo shipping to the Caribbean


 GORDON WILLIAMS
T e peak season for sending
 goodies to the Caribbean
 for Christmas is already
here.
 According
to sources in
the cargo ship-
ping industry,
October unof-
ficially marks
the start-up
period for
thousands of
barrels and
other contain-
ers to be sent
to the region.
 "Christmas
is the busiest
time,"
explained
Guyanese-bomrn
Brian Edun,
business devel-
opment manag-
er for
Laparkan
cargo shipping,
southeast
region, which
serves areas min Many more barrels I
the United sent off to the Carib
States ranging
from North Carolina, Georgia,
Texas, Louisiana and Florida.
 Sources said the period
runs roughly from Oct. 1 to
Dec. 31, but they also advise
customers that if they want
their goods to reach in time for


the peak of the festive season,
they should make sure the con-
tainers are shipped no later
than the second week in
December. The high volume of


ike this one will be packed with goodies and
bean in time for Christmas.

 shipments during the season
 can lead to heavy delays at
 ports across the region and
 possible delays in delivery.
 "A lot of the West Indians
 leave everything for last,"
 Edun said. "We ask them not


to ship later than two weeks
into December to avoid the
Christmas backlog."

BULK
 Most deliveries to the
region take anywhere between
three days and two weeks. An
estimated 70 percent of the con-
tainers sent to the Caribbean
leave the U.S. between Oct. 1
and Dec. 31. And while most
countries in the region are
served directly by cargo ship-
ping agencies in the
U.S., three countries
attract the most vol- [ V
ume.


 "The majority
goes between
Jamaica, Guyana and
Trinidad," said Edun,
"with Jamaica ahead."
 The rising volume
of shipments to the
region over the years
has also led to
increased competition
among the shipping
agencies, with many
offering specials dur-
ing the busy season.
According to Edun,
Laparkan, for exam-
ple, is offering two
barrels of foodstuff,
worth $250 each, to
two lucky winners
selected each month
from those who ship
to Jamaica through
the company between


Standards officials seize container of

 counterfeit goods in Grenada


ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada, CMC -
Government officials here say they have
seized a 40-foot container packed with
household supplies which violated the
island's labeling and advertising standards.
 Grenada Bureau of Standard Director
Simeon Collins said the container, which
was shipped directly from China to
Grenada, had products that were extreme-
ly dangerous for human consumption.
 "In recent times we have all become
aware of the dangers of these counterfeit
products and when our inspection officers
came across the container it was immedi-
ately decided to confiscate the goods," he
said late last month.
 A large shipment of toothpaste was
among the goods, the official said.

FAKE
 Collins said based on the guidelines
set out for identifying Chinese-produced
counterfeit toothpaste, inspectors at the
Port realized that the toothpaste in the
container was fake.
 "The only English words on the label
were a website address and made in
Egypt, Uganda or South Africa and we
knew immediately that they were not good
for human use," he said.
 He said there were also mosquito
coils, soap, nuts, raisins and preserved fruit
with no English written on the labels.


 Collins said a decision was taken to
issue a warning letter to the importer who
said he was unaware of Grenada's impor-
tation rules and regulations.
 "This is his first offense, so we did not
take a decision to stop him," Collins said.

DESTROYED
 The Bureau of Standards official said
that the seized goods would be destroyed
in a form that would ensure that they did
not find they way back on the market.
 "We will be
working with the
Grenada Solid
Waste Management
Authority to ensure
that all the goods are
totally destroyed," he
said, while explaining
that the bureau had
learnt from a recent
incident in which
some goods which An'
were buried found
their way back on the
market.
 "We will do what
it takes to make sure We Mak
that they are not in a
condition for human Sea Cargo Air Cargo
use." 1-8


October and December. While
the promotion originally tied in
with this month's 10th anniver-
sary celebration of Laparkan's
business with Jamaica Trading
Services, a brokerage firm, it
was stretched further to capi-
talize on the seasonal rush.
 "We decided to extend it
as a Christmas special," Edun
said.

BUSY BUYING
 Caribbean people tradi-


tionally like to take advantage
of the Christmas rush as well.
Many travel from the region to
buy goods from popular U.S.
wholesalers like Costco, Sam's
Club and BJ's, which offer
good deals especially at certain
times of the year like the post-
Thanksgiving period.
Caribbean residents also take
advantage of special events in
the U.S. to visit the country
and shop for goods to be sent
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 24)


 Faai, Dependabie r~rwsit vAccurM Docww~r~atrio
Dry and Reft*rt Cormbwars & Machine~ry & Ro"h gStac


yy-~i-:---


 MIAMI (305) 592-6060
US General Agents: Seafreight Agencies USA, Inc.
 Web site: seareightagencies.com


JACKSONVILLE PORT EVERGLADES BARBADOS JAMAICA ARUBA
 CURACAO VENEZUELA TRINIDAD GUYANA SURINAME
 ST. LUCIA GRENADA ST. VINCENT HAITI CAYMAN ISLANDS


* Express Courier Money Transfer


October 2007


CARIBBEAN TODAY


I