by 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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