PM dismisses Kamla's Venezuela tariff claims

PRIME Minister Stuart Young dismissed claims from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar that interactions he and his predecessor Dr Rowley had with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the last nine years were the reason why the US imposed a ten per cent reciprocal tariff on Trinidad and Tobago.

Persad-Bissessar made this allegation on April 4, about Young and Rowley's interactions with Maduro concerning cross-border energy agreements with Venezuela such as the Dragon and the Manakin-Cocuina projects.

Young responded to her after a tour of a new fishing centre at King's Wharf, San Fernando on April 5.

"Let's analyse that. So you have the Leader of the Opposition, someone who is trying and putting herself forward to be the Prime Minister of TT...making an accusation and a claim that Dr Rowley and I have with Venezuela led to the imposition of tariffs."

Young said, "China got tariffs of much higher levels imposed on them. We got the lowest...ten per cent. Guyana...38 per cent. So what did Guyana do? "

Guyana, he continued, "actually is in a dispute with Venezuela (over the Essequibo region between both countries."

Young said, "You look around the world. Canada. What did Canada do? So you all analyse these statements. These reckless, misleading, intentionally...lies. They are intentional lies being told to you."

He added there is evidence to show Persad-Bissessar's claims are "complete hogwash."

Young said, "TT was invited by the Secretary of State of the US (Marco Rubio) to have a one-on-one conversation in Jamaica with him last week Wednesday (March 26). One-on-one."

At a post-Cabinet news conference on March 27, Young said, "It was a good day for TT."

He added, "With the Dragon (gas project), we are continuing full speed ahead."

Young told the media, that Rubio made it clear the US will do nothing to harm TT's economy. Young said Rubio understood the importance of energy security for TT and Caricom.

Young also said there was an agreement for TT and the US to continue to collaborate on fighting transnational crime in the region, including combating the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

He added any right-thinking and civic-minded citizen could see the desperation of the UNC to be making such claims.

"It is the exact opposite. We are at a baseline (of) ten per cent. There are many countries across the world that are now struggling with 34 per cent...40 percentile...in the 20 percentile.

US President Donald Trump announced the tariffs on 180 countries on April 2.

In a statement on April 3, the Trade and Industry Ministry said its preliminary analysis shows"that approximately 47 per cent of the total value TT’s exports to the US will not be affected."

The ministry said TT's exports to the US and the rest of Caricom's exports, except Guyana, have been given the minimum discounted reciprocal base rate of ten per cent.

"It should be noted that some of TT’s largest export commodities to the US (such as crude petroleum and natural gas) will not be subject to the reciprocal tariff. Items such as energy and other critical minerals that are not available in the US have been exempted as outlined in Annex II of the President’s executive actions."

After filing his nomination papers on April 4, Young said he was heartened by preliminary discussions held between Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon and US government officials about the tariffs on April 3.

Young added, "I am not directly involved myself as yet."

He said the Trade and Industry Ministry will continue to do preliminary work with the US Embassy concerning the ten per cent reciprocal tariff on TT.

"Then we have other means that we are utilising to find out how these (tariffs) may affect TT."