The Ministry of Trade and Industry acknowledges the Judgment of the Caribbean Court of Justice Wednesday which dismissed the Originating Application brought by Rock Hard Distribution Limited, Rock Hard Distributors Limited and Mootilal Ramhit and Sons Contracting Limited in February 2021 against the State of Trinidad and Tobago and The Caribbean Community.
The Trade Ministry said the case challenged the decision of the Council for Trade and Economic Development in November 2020 to approve Trinidad and Tobago’s request for a suspension of the Common External Tariff to impose a rate of duty of fifty per cent on Other Hydraulic Cement from January 1st to December 31st last year.
The Trade Ministry said Wednesday’s decision by the CCJ comes on the heels of the decision by the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago in July 2021 to dismiss the application by the Claimants for judicial review challenging the decision of the Ministry to impose a quota, import licensing regime and registration system on cement.
It said the Claimants have since appealed this matter and it is currently before the Court of Appeal.
The Ministry assured the public it continues to actively monitor market conditions in the domestic cement market and will make any policy adjustments which may be required to effectively and fairly balance the economic and social needs of Trinidad and Tobago with the interests of consumers.
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