September 29, 2023

Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – May 26 – June 1, 2019

Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week of May 26 – June 1, 2019! We are happy to bring you the major trade and development headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

THIS WEEK’S TRADE HIGHLIGHTS

The Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) went into effect on May 30, 2019! Read more here.

The Trump Administration has threatened to impose tariffs on goods imports coming from Mexico unless the latter stops illegal immigration through its border. Read more

The US also removed Turkey and India from eligibility from the US Generalised System of Preferences (US GSP) which accords non-reciprocal preferential access to the US market for certain goods imports from eligible developing countries.

REGIONAL NEWS

New catfish export regulations for discussion with US officials

Stabroek News: The Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture is to discuss new regulations to enable Guyana to resume exporting catfish, with the US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) this week. Read more

‘Unknown’ forces siphoning gold out of Guyana

Stabroek: Activities in the mining sector and the corresponding production levels do not match the amount of gold being declared to the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) and the entity has begun to go into the mining districts to buy the precious metal while also tightening up security measures for exports. Read more

Imports down by a little, exports up by a lot, says Statistical Institute of Belize

Breaking Belize News: Belize’s imports were down while exports were up by 80% for the month of April, according to the latest data released by the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB). Read more

Government to assess the economic impact of Vincy mas

OECS Business News: The government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will assess the economic impact of Vincy Mas, the nation’s annual festival in now in progress. Read more

CARICOM chairman speaks out on corresponding banking

Jamaica Observer: The chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris says one the biggest economic and financial challenges facing the 15-member grouping is the practice engaged by the large global commercial banks to terminate their corresponding banking services. Read more

As exports decrease and imports increase, Holness urges investors not to give up on Caricom

Jamaica Observer: The Jamaican Government has said it would support investors in their quest to penetrate the Caribbean Community (Caricom) market, which it said “sometimes can be a more difficult market than exporting to Nigeria and Mauritius”. Read more

PM Urges CARICOM Pushback – Says Jamaican Businesses Shafted By Trade Partners

Jamaica Gleaner: Seeking to bolster the confidence of Jamaican businesses eager to deepen their export footprint across the Caribbean, Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged investors to push back at perceived structural or cultural barriers to trade by regional partners. Read more

Labour reform: Foreign companies must give locals top positions to operate in BVI

BVI News: Investors who establish new businesses in the British Virgin Islands will soon be required to grant their company’s senior management positions to BVIslanders/Belongers. Read more

CARICHAM requests Extension of CBERA

Dominica Vibes: The Network of Caribbean Chambers of Commerce (CARICHAM) is pleased to announce that we have submitted a letter to the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) on 28 May 2019, requesting an extension of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) and Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA). Read more

Divisions in CARICOM ‘suicidal’

Barbados Today: A prominent champion of regional integration has waded into the debate over the Caribbean Community’s position on the political unrest in Venezuela, with a warning to regional leaders that “fragmentation is suicidal”. Read more

Caricom sugar producers want less extra-regional imports

Jamaica Observer: Regional sugar producers are making an urgent appeal for policy changes to address the large amounts of extra-regional sugar being consumed in Caribbean Community (Caricom) member countries. Read more


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Canada begins process to ratify USMCA trade deal

Washington Examiner: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally introduced legislation to his country’s parliament Wednesday to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade. Read more

U.S. President Donald Trump terminates preferential trade status for India under GSP

The Hindu: A day after a group of journalists was told that India’s access to preferential trade terms under the U.S.’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) was on its way out, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a proclamation ending the trade benefits effective June 5. Read more

‘The US has backtracked’: China releases official document blaming America for the trade war

CNBC: China took a firm official stance against the United States on trade on Sunday, issuing a white paper that illustrates a widening gap between the two sides. Read more

US ends special trade treatment for India amid tariff dispute

BBC: The US will end preferential trade status for India next week, President Donald Trump has confirmed amid a deepening row over protectionism. Read more

Trump Defends Trade Moves, Says Tariff Is ‘a Beautiful Word’

Bloomberg: Self-professed “Tariff Man” President Donald Trump on Saturday defended his decisions to impose or raise levies against imports from Mexico and China, respectively, saying “companies are moving to the U.S.” to avoid paying the levies, and that “TARIFF is a beautiful word indeed!” Read more

China to release blacklist of US firms as trade war intensifies

Al Jazeera: On Saturday, China raised tariffs up to 25 percent on $60bn of US imports. Read more

WTO NEWS

NEW ON CTLD BLOG

The Caribbean Trade & Development Digest is a weekly trade news digest published by the Caribbean Trade Law & Development Blog. Liked this issue? To read past issues, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please subscribe to our Blog below:

caribbeantradelaw

The Caribbean Trade Law and Development Blog is owned and was founded by Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc. (Dist.), LL.B. (Hons), a Caribbean-based trade and development consultant. She writes and presents regularly on trade and development matters affecting the Caribbean and other small states. You can follow her on Twitter @LicyLaw. All views expressed on this Blog are Alicia's personal views and do NOT necessarily reflect the views of any institution or entity with which she may from time to time be affiliated.

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