Caribbean Trade and Development Digest – February 5-11, 2017

Source: Pixabay

Welcome to the Caribbean Trade and Development Digest for the week of February 5-11, 2017!  I am pleased to share some of the major trade and development headlines and analysis across the Caribbean region and the World. 

For past issues of our weekly Caribbean Trade & Development Digest, please visit here.

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REGIONAL

Curacao wants to import Dominican products due to Venezuelan crisis

Curacao Chronicle: This week the government of Curaçao said that it is interested in importing agricultural products from the Dominican Republic after the collapse of relations in that field between the island and Venezuela. Read more 

Caribbean Integration in times of Trump

Prensa Latina: Caribbean leaders analyze with worry here this week, the political and economic impact and the regional scenario after the assumption, last January 20, of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Read more 

OECS collaborates with ICAO

St. Lucia Times: Border control officers across the OECS are now better equipped to facilitate regional travel, in conformance with international standards. Read more 

Caricom Review Commission to publish report soon

Jamaican Observer: The report of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Review Commission is expected to be completed and submitted to Cabinet shortly. Read more 

CTO signs MOU with Airbnb

CTO: The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the region’s tourism development agency, and Airbnb, whose community marketplace provides access to millions of unique accommodations, today signed a landmark agreement to develop a set of policy principles and recommendations on the sharing economy for Caribbean governments and other stakeholders.Read more

CTO enters Partnership with OAG to provide market insights

CTO: The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the Caribbean’s tourism development agency, has entered into a marketing partnership with leading air travel data provider OAG to provide members with accurate, timely and actionable insight and analysis to aid decision-making and to spot opportunities in essential markets. Read more

Caribbean Tourism Arrivals at All-Time High

CTO: Caribbean tourism broke new ground in 2016, surpassing 29 million arrivals for the first time ever, and once again growing faster than the global average. Read more

INTERNATIONAL

RCEP nations set for meeting to finalise trade modalities

Nation Multimedia: Officials from 16 countries, including Asean and its six trading partners, will try to conclude the modalities for liberalisation in the trade of goods by the middle of this year. Read more 

Merkel and Uruguay’s Vazquez push to deepen EU-Mercosur ties

Deutsche Welle:  Angela Merkel intends to push trade talks between the EU and Mercosur nations. The chancellor has met with Uruguay’s president to forge new bonds in the wake of Donald Trump’s inauguration in the United States. Read more 

Macri and Temer agree to open Mercosur and to closer ties to Mexico

Mercopress: The leaders of Brazil and Argentina said on Tuesday they would pursue closer ties with Mexico and other Latin American nations alarmed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s promises to tear apart trade deals and build a wall in the Mexican border to protect American jobs. Read more 

Pre-clearance bill would give US border agents in Canada new powers

CBCNews: U.S. border guards would get new powers to question, search and even detain Canadian citizens on Canadian soil under a bill proposed by the Liberal government. Read more 

Reps urge Trump Administration to fix Cyber Trade Agreement

The Hill: A bipartisan slate of representatives with cybersecurity chops is pressuring President Trump’s top national security adviser, Michael Flynn, to change an export agreement many believe weakens international cybersecurity.  Read more 

Trade Agreement to boost MSG Ties

Fiji Times: MINISTER for Industry, Trade and Tourism Faiyaz Koya believes the Melanesian Free Trade Agreement will usher a deeper and stronger trade and economic relations amongst the MSG countries. Read more 

Commission publishes negotiating proposals for EU-Indonesia trade deal

European Commission: European Commission has published nine initial European proposals for the trade agreement under negotiation with Indonesia. Read more 

While Trump and Abe eye bilateral pact, Australia keeps TPP alive

The Diplomat: Japan and the United States have agreed to start new talks on trade and investment, adding to speculation over a bilateral trade deal between the two security allies. However, all is not lost for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), with Australia’s trade minister vowing to salvage the deal at March talks.Read more 

Brazil files WTO complaint against Canada over alleged subsidies to Bombardier

WTO: On 8 February, Brazil notified the WTO Secretariat that it had requested WTO dispute consultations with Canada regarding alleged subsidies provided to Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier. Read more 

Indonesia files notice of appeal in EU Fatty Alcohols Anti-dumping case

WTO: Indonesia filed a notice of appeal on 10 February 2017 in the case “European Union – Anti Dumping Measures on Imports of Certain Fatty Alcohols from Indonesia” (DS442). Read more 

Germany’s global trade surplus hits a record in 2016

WSJ: Germany’s exports exceeded its imports by the widest yearly margin on record last year. Read more 

BONUS – Caribbean Tourism Breaks New Ground (from Hugh Riley Blog)

This week the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) released a detailed report on the Caribbean’s tourism performance for 2016, showing the region surpassed a record 29 million stay-over arrivals in 2015. Please see CTO’s Secretary-General, Hugh Riley‘s very informative and detailed breakdown of the market performance on his blog here.

NEW ON CARIBBEAN TRADE LAW & DEVELOPMENT

US Federal Appeals Court Upholds Suspension of Trump Travel Ban

CARICOM and Cuba reach agreement to expand market access preferences

Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and Airbnb sign partnership agreement

IMF Staff Recommend St Lucia CIP Revenues be used Primarily to Reduce Debt

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