2005 SPEECHES

Southern U.S. Product Tasting

September 9, 2005

Dr. Roy L. Austin
United States Ambassador
Marriott Hotel Courtyard

Good evening to everyone and welcome!

The experience that many of you have with handling items similar to those we have today tells you that this is not an easy event to plan.  Coordinating shipping, complying with local laws and regulations, and proper handling of products all present great challenges.  Let us, therefore, congratulate the organizers of this event for a job well done.  They include the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the Alabama Department of Agriculture, the Southern United States Trade Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
 
I also thank all the food and beverage buyers, who have come to sample some of the fine Southern products that are being showcased here today.  Some have even come from neighboring islands, including my island of birth, St. Vincent; and we want you to know that we very much appreciate the time and effort you have expended to gather here with us this evening in Port of Spain.
 
Additionally, I thank all of the food and beverage suppliers from North Carolina and Alabama, for the special effort they have made to ship their product samples and literature all the way across the Caribbean Sea.  Their commitment to moving their products to new markets means that everyone here today has an opportunity to taste those products and learn about them in other ways.
 
Furthermore, I am impressed with the dedication shown by the Southern U.S. Trade Association and the food producers who have pulled this event off despite the recent devastation of parts of the South by Hurricane Katrina.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you recover from the catastrophic damage caused by that storm; and I ask that the event organizers please extend our sincere thanks to all of the southern U.S. companies that made this event possible.
 
The United States has long been Trinidad and Tobago’s main trading and investment partner; but trade events always help strengthen our already robust commercial ties.    This upward trend has grown substantially in the last several years due to economic liberalization.  While most of the trade and investment has focused on the energy sector, agricultural and food products are becoming an increasingly important component of our bi-lateral trading relationship.  As an example of the growth in agricultural trade, the United States exported a record high $150 million in food products to Trinidad and Tobago in 2004.  By the same token, in 2004 the United States imported $55 million in food products from Trinidad & Tobago, the highest level in the past five years.  This is an excellent example of two-way trade working to benefit everyone involved in both countries.
 
Commercial gains, agricultural trade, and food trade in particular, has the added benefit of exposing us to each other’s culture and identity.  One of the first things that come to mind when people mention America is hamburgers and apple pie, or maybe fried chicken and peach cobbler if you are from the southern U.S.  Likewise, Trinidad would not be the same without shark and bake, callaloo, and roti.  That is, when we share our food, we share our customs, our traditions, our flavors, and our creativity.
 
However, arguably even more important than the international exposure that food provides us, one of the best things about food is that every once in a while something special comes along that takes our taste buds for a ride.  You know what I’m talking about; we all do.  Although everything we sample may not suit our particular taste, one thing remains true -- experimenting is half the fun.  So with this in mind, I will leave you with a few words from the celebrated American author, Mark Twain, who wrote:  “Part of the secret of a successful life is to eat what you like, and let the food fight it out inside.”
 
Thank you very much; and enjoy the food!