The Caribbean Court Of Justice (CCJ) has ruled in favour of Trinidad Cement Ltd (TCL) and Arawak Cement Ltd in their battle with local importer Rock Hard Cement to have tariffs on imported cement remain at 60 per cent, and not five per cent as argued by the company.
So for now, a rate of 60 per cent will remain on hydraulic cement imported into Barbados. The case is not over yet, however, with a determination on exactly what classification of hydraulic cement the Barbadian company is importing for its local operations, still pending.
Hydraulic cement is used to stop water and leaks in concrete and masonry structures. It is a type of cement, similar to mortar, that sets extremely fast and hardens after it has been mixed with water.
In a decision handed down last week, the CCJ rejected intervenor Rock Hard’s application to set aside a decision handed down in July this year, when the regional court ordered Government to restore and enforce the 60 per cent rate which the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) approved in 2001 at the request of Barbados, as a rate higher than the current common external tariff on “other hydraulic cements” imported from outside CARICOM. (BA)
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