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Laurence Watson, Jamaica Chamber of Commerce President
A Jamaican delegation comprising private and public sector representatives is to leave the island today for Brazil.
The officials will assess the situation at meat processing plants.
This as pressure is being placed on the Government to end the wide scale ban on the importation of corned beef from Brazil.
Amid a declaration from Commerce Minister Karl Samuda in an interview with RJR News on the weekend that the restriction will continue, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) says it has concerns.
Laurence Watson, president of the Chamber, wants the ban removed in certain circumstances.
In a statement on the issue on Tuesday, Mr. Watson argued that where distributors can show the government that they can stand behind their brand the blanket ban should be lifted.
While conceding that the Jamaican Government has a duty to protect its citizens, he said account should be taken of the fact that "both the Embassy of Brazil and reputable companies in Jamaica have announced that the product with which they are dealing is safe".
Against that background, he said it was "incumbent on these distributors to provide the ministry with the information that they have to show that they stand behind their products and their brands are safe, and the government should lift a blanket ban and allow the companies to prove to him that their products are safe and allow them to start selling their productss."
The Brazilian Embassy last week announced that the 21 meat-processing companies under investigation in the South American country do not have export arrangements with Jamaican firms.
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