Local exporters of food products to the US are generally prepared for the December 12 deadline to comply with new bio-terrorism legislation.

Up to yesterday the New Guyana Marketing Corpora-tion (NGMC) and the USAID sponsored Guyana Economic Opportunities (GEO) Project were helping exporters get accredited as part of a system designed to protect US food supplies.

The new law entitled Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act) requires registration with the US Food and Drug Agency by December 12.

NGMC General Manager Nizam Hassan said yesterday that the bulk of exporters completing their registration were from the fisheries sector with a few who exported fresh fruits also participating.

According to Hassan, NGMC had also been contacted by some shipping companies, including Laparkan, about registration.

Hassan said several persons who were not regularly exporting were registering in advance of restarting. He also noted the case of some exporters requesting to know whether they needed to register all their export names.

Hassan did admit that like with everything else there was bound to be some exporters who would be caught out by the deadline but when they recognise that they are unable to move their goods off ports it will dawn upon them to get themselves in order.