December 4, 2023

Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – June 30 – July 6, 2019

Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week of June 30-July 6, 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 HIGHLIGHTS

CARICOM Heads of Government held their 40th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government (HoG) at Gros Islet, Saint Lucia 3-5, July 2019 under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Honourable Allen Chastanet. Read the communique here.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addressed the Opening Ceremony of the CARICOM HoG Meeting and his speech may be viewed here.

Ghana has been selected to host the AfCFTA Secretariat.

The Global Aid for Trade Report 2019 was launched this week. The full report may be read online here.

REGIONAL NEWS

Strengthening ties

Barbados Today: The Barbados Government was looking to broaden and deepen trade in the region and Prime Minister Mottley was particularly interested in pursuing relationships with Guyana, which was expected to experience growth from the development of its oil and gas industry. Read more

Sustainable Trade: OECS signs € 3.6 million project to develop trade capacity in the region

OECS: Stronger trade expertise and the creation of a harmonised trade information and facilitation platform in OECS Member States are key areas earmarked for development under the 3.6 million euro, EU/ACP-funded TradeCom II Agreement signed by OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules in Geneva, Switzerland today. Read more

Regional countries seeking support for dealing with climate change impact

Jamaica Observer: Caribbean countries have welcomed an initiative by the SIDS Resilience Foundation and Project Lodge designed to mobilise financing to build resilience, St Lucia’s Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has said. Read more

Resilience We Seek To Build Must Be Built Within CSME – CARICOM SG

CARICOM: The 40th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government, opened on Wednesday evening under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Allen Chastanet of Saint Lucia, at the Royalton St Lucia Resort, with strong calls to strengthen regional integration mechanisms. Read more

SVG assumes Chairmanship of CARIFORUM for one year

Searchlight: St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has assumed its role of Chair of the Caribbean Forum of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (CARIFORUM) for a one-year period. Read more

Jamaican companies seek export opportunities in Trinidad

LoopJamaica: Seven Jamaican companies are currently exploring export opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago on an export mission being led by JAMPRO and the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA). Read more

JAMPRO Coordinating Activities to Boost Exports

JIS: Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) has been coordinating various marketing and investment activities aimed at boosting the range of export markets for local products. Read more

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Aid for Trade Review opens with call to preserve trading system as driver for development

Hellenic Shipping News: The seventh Global Review of Aid for Trade opened at the World Trade Organization on 3 July with a call for preserving the multilateral trading system in order to support trade as a driver of economic growth and development. Read more

African Leaders Meet to Push Forward Free-Trade Deal

VoA: Officials are gathering in Niger’s capital this weekend for an African Union summit that begins the “operational phase” of a long-sought continental free trade zone. Read more

Ghana selected to host AfCFTA secretariat

CGTN: Ghana was on Saturday selected as the country to host the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Read more

African Union to launch operational phase of AfCFTA in Niger

CGTN: The African Union said on Thursday that it will launch the operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at an Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government on July 7 in Niamey, Niger. Read more

Hopes dim for passage of Trump trade deal

The Hill: House Democrats say there’s little to no chance that Congress will take up President Trump’s replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) before the end of summer. Read more

Mexico and U.S. try new trade fix to win over Democrats: official

Reuters: Mexico is working closely with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to close a loophole in the new North American trade deal, aimed at satisfying demands of U.S. Democratic lawmakers for tougher labor and environmental provisions, a senior Mexican official said. Read more

Cheese and whiskey are targeted in US’s latest proposed tariffs on EU

Vox: The US wants to add new tariffs on $4 billion in goods as part of a trade dispute involving Boeing and Airbus. Read more

US drags India to WTO for imposing additional tariffs on 28 goods

Business Line: The US claims that the additional duties, which India imposed through a series of notifications issued between June 2018 and June 2019, are inconsistent with provisions of the WTO’s General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade by unfairly discriminating against US imports vis-à-vis those from other WTO members and by according less favourable treatment to US goods than that provided for in India’s schedule of concessions,” according to an official release. Read more

U.S. and 15 others slam EU regulation of farm products at WTO

Reuters: The United States and 15 other countries launched a broadside of criticism at the European Union on Thursday, saying its “hazard-based” approach to regulating pesticides and other “critical tools” used by farmers was damaging livelihoods worldwide. Read more

China is not the only trading partner targeted by US President Donald Trump’s trade wars

ABC (Australia): The US-China trade war has been dominating headlines, but Beijing is not the only trading partner in President Donald Trump’s crosshairs. Read more

Talks ongoing for Pacific Alliance-Singapore free trade agreement

Business Times: Negotiations on the Pacific Alliance-Singapore free trade agreement (FTA) are underway, involving a grouping of four countries – Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru – which Singapore traded $5.9 billion in goods with last year. Read more

WTO NEWS

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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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