BELIZE ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE REPORT

• BELIZE ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE UNIT REPORT ( Private Sector )
• Western Belize News Service http://westernbelizehappenings.blogspot.com

In light of the European Union, contract, or Economic Partnership Agreement debate among CARICOM and CARIFORM countries, including Belize. It behooves us to understand the factors that are influencing policy at the CABINET level of the Belize government. The new ( private sector driven ) Economic Intelligence Unit has been formed to try and find motives, reasons and who profits?

The goal of this study paper are our SUGAR and BANANA industry. The two major bulk commodity industries worth $132 million in exports to Europe, which have effected the CABINET decision with this EPA invasion from the European Union, to bust open and enslave CARIBBEAN markets.. This is a first start and as information is gathered, this report will be updated, to enhance public understanding of the economic factors in play, which are interfering with the Independence of Belize and our goal of economic self sufficiency.

INTELLIGENCE DATA to date: SUGAR INDUSTRY

Humint intelligence - CLASSIFED SECRET ( In explanation of a SECRET classification, we refer to human sources of information whose identity must be protected.) The information is most probably in the public domain, but not easy to find for the lay person within Belize.

HUMINT: Sugar - Orange Walk town sugar factory, the only one operating is owned by sugar grower shareholders in a corporation called BSI. ( Belize Sugar Industries ) Foreign marketing arrangement are by assorted arrangement. UK the majority and the USA, plus three Caribbean island countries.

AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT: no inputs yet – bureaucrat not available until next week-

FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEPT. – no inputs yet

MEDIA SOURCES – no inputs yet ( considered to be OPEN sources )

INTERNET SOURCES: - no inputs yet ( considered to be OPEN sources )

SUGAR FACTORY BSI MARKETING OFFICER : About 110,000 tons of sugar are marketed. 12,000 tons are sold locally, while 98,000 tons are exported. Biggest buyer are Tate and Lyle, a UK company, who purchases sugar and all the molasses. The sugar for the USA is exported and sold through a bidding process by buyers. The rest is sold in the Caribbean. 2007 year crop was damaged by Hurricane and worth $108.4 million Belize currency. The USA sugar quota is 11,400 tons but the BSI factory was unable to fill the order this past year. Tate & Lyle the UK buyer handled 86,600 tons of sugar and as the biggest buyer, in the UK, is part of the European Union, and distributes their processed bagged sugar around Europe and the Commonwealth. The preferential tariff of the EU effects the price that Tate & Lyle pay BSI locally. Preferential tariffs of the EU effect the Tate & Lyle of the UK bottom line.

For the 2007 crop, the USA contributed $9.7 million Belizean currency, the Caribbean countries $2.3 million, local consumption around $10 million and $6.4 million in molasses to the UK.