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50 51 T he American Chamber of Com- merce of Jamaica (AMCHAM Jamaica) was established in May 1986, in Kings- ton, under the auspic- es of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America (COCU- SA) and the Association of American Chambers of Commerce of Latin America and the Caribbe- an (AACCLA), which has 28 chapters in the region and a seat on the Board of the U.S. Cham- ber of Commerce. AMCHAMs are non-profit, independent associations outside the terri- torial United States, formed by U.S. business people and nationals who do business with the U.S. AMCHAM Jamaica was founded by 13 American businessmen who de- cided that there was a need for an advocacy and lobbying group for Amer- ican companies doing business in Jamaica. Its mission was to promote investment and trade among the United States, Jamaica, and the greater Caribbean region. Today, AMCHAM AT A GLANCE AMCHAM JAMAICA WHAT: A regional, non-profit associ- ation established under the auspices of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce WHERE: Kingston, Jamaica WEBSITE: www.amchamjamaica.org AMCHAM JAMAICA PROMOTING INVESTMENT AND TRADE Jamaica has grown to approximately 195 companies – Jamaican, American, Caribbean, and Latin American– and is connected, not only to the 28 AMCHAMs in the region, but also to the 175 AHCHAMs across the world, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce offices in 116 countries. “Which is really good,” says Gail Abrahams, AMCHAM Jamaica’s President, “because, say a company here in Jamaica wants an opportuni- ty to grow in, say, Europe; we can touch base with an AMCHAM there. If they want to go to Colombia, or Brazil, or the United States, we can provide that connection because we talk with each other. Or, there may be a company in El Salvador that needs to connect with a company in Jamaica. The 28 AMCHAMs across the Caribbean and Latin America are responsible for 20,000 companies. So, at the end of the day, we’re all sis- ters and brothers, and that can be beneficial to all companies.” AMCHAM Jamaica