Caribbean Trade Law and Development

Category: Trade

  • Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest – May 9-15, 2021

    Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest – May 9-15, 2021

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest for the week of May 9-15 2021! We are pleased to bring you the major trade and development news headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

    THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

    The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will have its first female Secretary General as of August 15, 2021. This week, Heads of Government unanimously selected Belizean Dr. Carla Barnett to be the incoming SG. Read more about what awaits the new SG here.

    Jamaica is exploring once again the possibility of creating an Economic Residency Programme. Read more here.

    According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Bolivia has notified  its need to utilise the flexibility under the TRIPS  2017 amendment. Read more

    United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai testified this week at a Senate Finance Committee Hearing on the President’s Trade Agenda. Read her remarks here.

    Afronomicslaw Symposium: Prospects for Deepening Africa-Caribbean Economic Relations – Call for Blogs (Extended Deadline: June 4)

    Given the limited but promising trade and investment relationship between both regions, there is a dearth of scholarly analysis on the Africa-Caribbean economic relationship. This Symposium aims to address this gap in international economic relations scholarship through considered analytical pieces exploring aspects of this understudied relationship. We invite authors to submit blog contributions which critically analyze and examine this relationship from a variety of perspectives. Read the full Call for Blogs here.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    Regional integration and the CSME to be taught in CARICOM classrooms

    Loop News Caribbean: Starting on Monday, around the region, the teaching of regional integration and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy (CSME) will be done in classrooms as part of a new indicative by the CARICOM Secretariat. Read more

    CARICOM launches regional integration and CSME pilot programme

    Searchlight: The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat is continuing efforts to increase the teaching of regional integration and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) in CARICOM classrooms via a new initiative that was due to start yesterday, Monday May 10, 2021. Read more

    More Protection For Condensed Milk And Clinker In CARICOM

    JIS: Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Audley Shaw, has informed that condensed milk and clinker (used in cement production) supplied within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) “have [now] been afforded an additional layer of protection”. Read more

    State Entities That Facilitate Imports And Exports To Be Digitised

    JIS: Some 20 State entities that facilitate imports and exports are earmarked for digitisation under the Jamaica Electronic Single Window for Trade (JSWIFT) initiative. Read more

    Barbados AG: UK listing disappointing, but not surprising

    Nation News: Statement from Attorney General Dale Marshall on the UK Government’s listing of Barbados as a High-Risk Third Country. Read more

    Barbados, Dominica collaborating on resilience investment

    Barbados Today: Barbados is engaging the services of the International Financial Corporation (IFC) in association with Dominica, as the two countries seek to embark on a pilot project to spur private sector investment in resilience. Read more

    St Kitts PM makes global appeal for regional vaccine availability

    NYCaribNews: Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris Friday called on the United States and other vaccine producing countries to ensure the equitable distribution of the vaccine needed to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) that has killed thousands of people in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) grouping. Read more

    CARICOM states ‘lack green energy drive’ despite ‘ambition

    Barbados Today: Warning that it will take upwards of $40 billion (US$20 billion) in investment for CARICOM to reach the goal of 100 per cent renewable energy use and energy efficiency, a senior regional civil servant has expressed disappointment at the slow pace of some member states in going green. Read more

    BTMI relaunches Barbados tourism brand

    Nation News: The Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) virtually relaunched Barbados’ tourism brand to the world earlier today, unveiling the new brand theme “Little Island; Big Barbados”. Read more

    BTMI chief introduces National Tourism Marketing Committee

    Barbados Today: A new National Tourism Marketing Committee (NTMC) has been established under the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) to focus on the strategic marketing of niche tourism product offerings, the state tourism agency said Friday. Read more

    Barbados exports down

    Barbados Advocate: According to the data, overall domestic exports brought in income of $102.8 million, compared to $117.2 million a year earlier and $135 million in the same three-month period in 2019. Read more

    Increase trade in services – EU delegation

    Jamaica Gleaner: Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Jamaica, Marianne Van Steen, is encouraging Jamaica to increase trade in services to better exploit opportunities within the 27-member trade bloc. Read more

    Government of Belize Reconstitutes a National Trade Negotiating Commission

    LoveFM: Distance, language, tariffs, and import quotas are barriers that often put small and medium-sized economies at great trading disadvantages. But with the formation of the National Trade Negotiating Commission, Belize is hoping to even the playing field. Read more

    Bahamas ambassador promotes Caribbean priorities for EU partnership agreement

    EyeWitnessNews: Maria O’Brien, ambassador extraordinaire and plenipotentiary of The Bahamas to the Kingdom of Belgium and head of mission to the European Union, recently represented The Bahamas at an official ceremony to finalize a new partnership agreement between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. Read more

    Trinidad & Tobago Trade Ministry promotes opportunities in the UK market

    Trinidad Express: As the Government of Trinidad and Tobago continues to actively increase the country’s exports to extra-regional markets, the Ministry of Trade and Industry in collaboration with exporTT Limited recently hosted a Virtual Awareness Session on the CARIFORUM-United Kingdom (UK) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Read more

    Trade Minister meets with TT Chamber’s new Head

    Trinidad Express: Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry held a virtual meeting earlier today with the newly installed President of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce (TTCIC), Mr. Charles Pashley. During the meeting several matters related to supporting the growth and expansion of the local private sector were discussed. Read more

    Use of The Bahamas’ vast ocean resources — Bahamas Development Bank looks at the potential and offers grants for training

    EyeWitness News: The recent Blue Economy Think Tank hosted by the Strategic Development and Initiatives Unit of the Bahamas Development Bank (BDB) attracted over 340 registered participants and 20 panelists from The Bahamas and abroad, who examined ways in which Bahamians can benefit from sustainable use of the country’s vast ocean resources. Read more

    IDB urges Caribbean countries to do more to meet their Paris Agreement commitments

    Jamaica Observer: The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) says Latin America and the Caribbean countries must include finance and planning perspectives to their climate policies and commitments in their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) if they expect to deliver on their Paris Agreement objectives and promote a sustainable recovery. Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    WTO DG fixes July ministerial meeting on over-fishing rules

    Reuters: The head of the World Trade Organization plans to host a ministerial meeting on July 15 where she hopes an agreement can be reached on cutting fisheries subsidies after 20 years of talks, a document showed on Monday. Read more

    WTO Aims for Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies in July 2021

    IISD: World Trade Organization (WTO) members reviewed work undertaken in March and April to advance negotiations on an agreement to curb harmful fisheries subsidies. WTO members are aiming to reach an agreement in July 2021. Read more

    How global trade can save lives and livelihoods – and help protect the planet

    WEForum: Global trade has a role to play in saving lives in the COVID-19 pandemic, creating jobs and sustainable development that mitigates against climate change. This was the view of the panellists at the World Economic Forum’s latest Agenda Dialogues session on the Global Trade Outlook. Read more

    Piyush Goyal, US Trade Representative discuss COVID-19 vaccine production, TRIPS waiver

    Business Today: During a meeting with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, United States Trade Representative (USTR), Katherine Tai, reaffirmed the commitment of the US to help India. Read more

    China, WTO need to upgrade overdue digital trade rules

    Hellenic Shipping News: Over the years, the digital economy has developed greatly throughout the world. But World Trade Organization (WTO) digital trade rules have stagnated. Since the new Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala took office in February, reforms regarding digital trade rules are facing greater challenges and opportunities. Read more

    ‘Hostile environment’: After Brexit, some EU citizens in the UK are worried about their future

    CNBC: Many EU citizens who are still living in the U.K. after Brexit have said they do not feel treated equally to British citizens and feel worried about their rights, a new survey has found. Read more

    After India-EU Summit, Is a Free Trade Agreement on the Cards?

    News18: Even as the European Union has got politically weakened by Brexit, internal tensions between western European countries and eastern ones, notably Hungary and Poland, over issues of democracy and European values, problems of migration, Islamism, terrorism and rise of right-wing forces, and, in addition, economically enfeebled by the still-uncontrolled COVID crisis, India has decided to draw closer to it, driven by its own political and economic challenges. Read more

    EAC Secretary General promises to increase intra-regional trade from 20% to 50% in the next five years

    EAC: The EAC Secretary General, Hon (Dr.) Peter Mathuki has promised the business community in the region that he will do everything within his power to address the vice of Non-Tariff Barriers to trade and trade wars, and work towards raising the volume of intra-regional trade from the current level of below 20% to more than 50% over the next five years. Read more

    Cotonou 2.0: A bad trade deal for Africa?

    DW: The new EU-OACPS Partnership Agreement is only a few weeks old, but already many in Africa are calling for an update. What are the reasons for the dissatisfaction? Read more

    Impact of COVID-19 on financing of free trade in Africa assessed

    ESI Africa: African Export-Import Bank, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development Bank and Making Finance Work for Africa Partnership have released a special African Trade Finance Survey Report assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trade finance in Africa. Read more

    Kazungula Bridge to boost regional trade and commerce

    AllAfrica: The recently constructed 923-metre-long rail and road Kazungula bridge, linking Zambia and Botswana, was inaugurated on Monday in an effort to boost bilateral and regional trade. The bridge across the Zambezi River, co-financed by the two governments, is expected to boost trade and commerce between the two countries as well as increase economic activities and prospects of other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, including Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, DRC and Mozambique. Read more

    Belarus, South Africa to strengthen business contacts

    BELTA: Belarus and South Africa plan to strengthen business contacts. The matter was discussed during the online meeting of the representatives of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BelCCI) with President of the South African Chamber of Commerce Mtho Xulu, BelTA learned from the BelCCI website. Read more

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  • Making the UK-CARIFORUM EPA Work for Post-Brexit UK-CARIFORUM Trade

    Making the UK-CARIFORUM EPA Work for Post-Brexit UK-CARIFORUM Trade

    Alicia Nicholls

    As of January 1, 2021, the formal trading relationship between the United Kingdom (UK) and CARIFORUM countries (with the exception of Haiti) is no longer governed by the Economic Partnership Agreement signed between the European Union (EU) and CARIFORUM countries (EU-CARIFORUM EPA) in 2008. Instead, while that agreement continues between the remaining EU-27 and CARIFORUM countries, the new UK-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement (UK-CARIFORUM EPA) provisionally applies to UK-CARIFORUM trade until ratified by all parties. As with any trade agreement, market access on paper is of little value unless firms can convert it into meaningful market penetration in practice. This article explores how CARIFORUM countries could make this ‘new’ agreement work for deepening UK-CARIFORUM trade.

    UK-CARIFORUM trade

    The UK-CARIFORUM EPA provides duty-free and quota-free access for goods, preferential access for services providers and investors, among other things. The novelty of the agreement applies more so to its date of signature than its substance as it merely replicates or ‘rolls over’, to the extent practicable, the provisions of the EU-CARIFORUM EPA to ensure trade continuity between the UK and CARIFORUM countries once the former had left the EU. As such, the market access conditions CARIFORUM exporters face in the UK market, and vice versa, remain unchanged in substance from what obtained under the EU-CARIFORUM EPA.

    Preserving post-Brexit access to the UK market for CARIFORUM exporters was critical for the region as the UK was a major export market within the EU for many CARIFORUM countries and the major destination for certain CARIFORUM exports like rum, bananas and sugar. It is also an export destination for Trinidad’s methanol and liquified natural gas (LNG) exports. The UK-based Caribbean diaspora community is a key demandeur of CARIFORUM products such as rum, sauces, seasonings, biscuits and other ‘nostalgic’ goods.  

    The Ex Post Evaluation of the EU-CARIFORUM EPA Report released by the European Commission last year noted that many CARIFORUM producers also used the UK as an entry point into the EU market and identified the Caribbean diaspora in the UK as ‘a key facilitating factor’. Using the UK as an entry point might no longer be that attractive an option for CARIFORUM firms given that the UK is no longer within the EU single market or customs union.

    Overall, however, trade between the UK and CARIFORUM has been on a general decline, according to data from the UK Office of National Statistics.Over the twenty year period between 2000 and 2020, UK imports from CARIFORUM countries declined as a percentage of UK imports, except for a spike to 0.53% in 2009, immediately after the signing of the EU-CARIFORUM EPA. In spite of this, the UK remains a major source market for tourist arrivals to the region, and for some CARIFORUM countries like Barbados, the main source for FDI in the tourism sector and second home market.

    Deepening UK-CARIFORUM relations

    Export diversification is one of the strategies identified by CARIFORUM countries as part of their post-COVID-19 recovery efforts. In light of the above, there is clearly scope for both expanding and diversifying current UK-CARIFORUM trade away from mostly low-value added products and into higher value manufactured goods and high value-added services. There is scope for encouraging greater UK FDI into the region outside of traditional sectors like tourism and real estate and into renewable energy, education, health and other sectors linked to the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). The UK-CARIFORUM EPA’s Protocol III on Cultural Cooperation (the Cultural Protocol) which replicates that of the EU-CARIFORUM EPA, can be leveraged to promote greater UK-CARIFORUM trade in the creative industries through, for instance, joint film and music productions.

    Deepening UK-CARIFORUM relations appears to be a goal for both regions as evinced by the Action Plan and communique released from the Tenth UK-Caribbean Ministerial Forum held in March 2021. Trade and commercial relations was one of the six substantive areas of joint action identified. Among the goals under that action item are the establishment of a UK-Caribbean Business-to-Business (B2B) Roundtable, commitment to identify opportunities to use the significant capacity available for export credit financing support to the region through UK Export Finance (UKEF), to promote and expand UK-Caribbean trade flows and to further reduce market access barriers for one another’s exporters. In addition to this, the UK also expanded its diplomatic footprint in the Caribbean by opening new permanent missions in some CARIFORUM Member States in 2018 and in 2020 appointed a Trade Envoy for the twelve Commonwealth Caribbean countries.

    Recommendations

    In addition to the commitments made under the Action Plan, there are some concrete ways in which the UK-CARIFORUM EPA can be utilized to deepen post-Brexit UK-CARIFORUM trade and investment. These include the following:

    1. Raise awareness by both CARIFORUM and UK firms of the market access opportunities under the UK-CARIFORUM EPA. Many firms remain unaware of these opportunities;
    2. Accelerate the establishment of the proposed UK-Caribbean B2B Roundtable and set concrete deliverables for what this roundtable will seek to achieve;
    3. Promote greater ties between CARIFORUM-UK businesses to encourage greater information-sharing on market and investment opportunities. This could be done, for example, through the B2B Roundtable, as well as through formalized links between the Chambers of Commerce and industry associations of the region and in the UK;
    4. Make greater use of existing institutions like the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce in Europe, whose remit also extends to the UK, to promote greater links between UK and CARIFORUM-based businesses;
    5. Explore ways in which the region, including regional institutions, can work more closely with the UK Trade Envoy for the Caribbean, the UK missions, UK Export Finance (UKEF) and other trade-related UK agencies to promote greater UK-CARIFORUM trade;
    6. Conduct a study to determine the current barriers impacting CARIFORUM businesses seeking to access the UK market and propose solutions for how these could be overcome to promote greater CARIFORUM-UK trade;
    7. Conduct a study on the ways in which the new EU-UK trading relationship impacts the use of the UK as an entry point to the EU and ways in which this could be mitigated;
    8. Better leverage the UK-based Caribbean diaspora for enhancing UK-CARIFORUM trade and investment. Aside from the usual benefits of remittances and diaspora FDI, the diaspora could also provide market intelligence, business mentoring and coaching for CARIFORUM entrepreneurs interested in trading with UK firms or establishing a presence in the UK;
    9. Make greater use of economic diplomacy by leveraging CARIFORUM countries’ diplomatic missions in the UK to identify opportunities for UK-CARIFORUM trade and investment;
    10. Accelerate the establishment of the joint institutions provided for under the UK-CARIFORUM EPA.

    Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B. is a trade and development consultant with a keen interest in sustainable development, international law and trade. All views herein expressed are her personal views and should not be attributed to any institution with which she may from time to time be affiliated. You can read more of her commentaries and follow her on Twitter @LicyLaw.

  • Afronomicslaw Symposium: Prospects for Deepening Africa-Caribbean Economic Relations – Call for Blogs (Deadline: May 14)

    Afronomicslaw Symposium: Prospects for Deepening Africa-Caribbean Economic Relations – Call for Blogs (Deadline: May 14)

    Total trade volumes between African and Caribbean countries remain small, but the potential and opportunities for enhancing trade, investment and economic cooperation between these two regions are encouraging based on shared historical and cultural ties. To this end, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has announced steps to formalize relations with the African Union (AU).Several CARICOM countries have also sought to deepen bilateral ties with individual African countries. Africa-Caribbean Economic Relations and cooperation are even more critical now as countries on both sides of the Atlantic aim to kickstart economic recovery following the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 shock. Indeed, vaccine cooperation became another form of Africa-Caribbean cooperation when the AU offered CARICOM access to some of the approved vaccines from a shipment it was receiving.

    Given the limited but promising trade and investment relationship between both regions, there is a dearth of scholarly analysis on the Africa-Caribbean economic relationship. This Symposium aims to address this gap in international economic relations scholarship through considered analytical pieces exploring aspects of this understudied relationship.

    We invite authors to submit contributions which critically analyze and examine this relationship from a variety of perspectives, including but not limited to:

    • Geo-political and economic ties (both historical and present) between these two regions; 
    • The future of trade and investment relations between both regions in light of WTO-plus mega-regional trade agreements popping up;
    • EU-ACP relations e.g. EU-EPAs and issues relating to fragmentation and dilution of negotiating positions by African and Caribbean countries;
    • The impact of COVID-19 on the vulnerability of trade and investment regimes in both regions;
    • Comparative perspectives from both regions on the role of education in the advancement of critical thought in international economic relations scholarship;
    • Comparative perspectives from both regions on the regulation of digital trade/e-commerce;
    • Africa-Caribbean collaboration in multilateral fora, e.g., WTO, ACP, Commonwealth, UNCTAD; •
    • Comparative perspectives from both regions on approaches to cooperation and regional integration; 
    • Comparative perspectives from both regions on Sustainable Development, e.g., approaches to mainstreaming regulation of renewable energy, the green and blue economy into trade and investment regimes;
    • Air Connectivity/Tourism/Travel Trade, e.g., prospects for promoting leisure and business travel between CARICOM and African countries;
    • Cultural Industries collaboration;
    • Role of the private sector in shaping future Africa-Caribbean trade and investment relations;
    • Investment relations, e.g., opportunities for Africa-Caribbean FDI, cooperation on investment rule-making reform.

    Submission Guidelines:

    Essays that are submitted as part of this symposium must be analytical and original. Authors must comply with the Afronomicslaw.org blog submission guidelines accessible here. Blogs are to be submitted to afronomicslaw@gmail.com with the title ‘African-Caribbean Relations Blog Submission’.

    Deadline for Submission of Essays:

    May 14, 2021.

    Inquiries or clarifications relating to this call should be directed to Ohio Omiunu (ohio.omiunu@dmu.ac.uk) and Alicia Nicholls (alicia.nicholls@cavehill.uwi.edu)

  • Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest – May 2-8, 2021

    Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest – May 2-8, 2021

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest for the week of May 2-8, 2021! We are pleased to bring you the major trade and development news headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

    THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

    The Biden Administration has thrown its support behind a proposal by India and South Africa for a waiver from the TRIPS Agreement. See the full statement by the USTR here.

    According to the findings of a study by the London School of Economics (LSE) Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), UK companies are reporting that Brexit has affected their operations, “leading to a fall in exports to the EU for a quarter of exporters and a fall in imports from the EU for a third of importers”. Access the full report here.

    China-Australia trade and diplomatic relations which have been rocky for some time now have taken another turn for the worst as China ‘indefinitely’ suspends China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue. Read more

    UNCTAD has unveiled a new portal which tracks COVID-19’s impact on trade and development. Read more here

    Several Caribbean countries are among those whose wild-caught shrimp remain eligible for entry into the US. This is according to a US Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs’ Annual Certification of Shrimp-Harvesting Nations released at the end of April. See the countries in the Federal Register here.

    The Twenty-Fourth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was held virtually on the 6-7 May 2021, under the Chairmanship of the Honourable Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belize. Read more

    Afronomicslaw Symposium: Prospects for Deepening Africa-Caribbean Economic Relations – Call for Blogs (Deadline: May 14)

    Given the limited but promising trade and investment relationship between both regions, there is a dearth of scholarly analysis on the Africa-Caribbean economic relationship. This Symposium aims to address this gap in international economic relations scholarship through considered analytical pieces exploring aspects of this understudied relationship. We invite authors to submit blog contributions which critically analyze and examine this relationship from a variety of perspectives. Read the full Call for Blogs here.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    The Bahamas, US sign airspace agreement

    Nation News: The Bahamas government has signed an air navigation services agreement with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowing for the monitoring of the country’s airspace for ten years. Read more

    St Vincent and the Grenadines cocoa industry hard hit after eruption

    Barbados Advocate: St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ (SVG) cocoa industry has been hit hard due to the devastation caused by La Soufrière eruption. Read more

    Barbados Port Inc. looking towards future

    Barbados Advocate: This was revealed during the 60th anniversary celebration and time capsule ceremony at Cube Blue, Harbour Road, St. Michael on Tuesday. Read more

    Belize’s balance of trade narrows in first quarter: imports down, exports up

    BBN: Belize imported nearly $39 million less in goods in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 2020, and exported about $17 million more, narrowing the uneven balance of trade which has long tilted toward imports. Read more

    China becomes top market for Cuba cigars

    Reuters: Cuba’s state cigar monopoly, Habanos S.A., said on Tuesday that China had displaced Spain last year as its top market but rising demand in the Asian giant could not compensate for declines in sales elsewhere, with global revenue down 4% to $507 million. Read more

    The Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism in Cuba

    Havana Times: Tourism has been one of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic. In 2020, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) estimated that the effects of COVID-19 on global tourism would be greater than those sparked by the 2008 financial crisis: between 100-120 million jobs at stake; billion-dollar losses in tourism exports; and a 1.5% – 2.8% drop of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to a United Nations (UN) report. Read more

    US-Cuba Relations, a Matter of Domestic Policy

    Havana Times: For decades, the Cuban and US governments have found minimal relations between the two countries in both of their interests. In 2014, Raul Castro and Barack Obama proposed to reverse this age-old strategy that has been upheld by “idealogues” from both governments, with the same determination; who support a very similar political outlook, even if they do opt for different expressions of State. Read more

    Jamaica Attracts Diverse Jobs in the Outsourcing Sector

    Business Wire: Global outsourcing powerhouse, ibex, is increasing the diversity of jobs within Jamaica’s global digital services industry through an expansion of its current workforce of two thousand employees. The company provides customer support in sectors that include retail, finance, healthcare, and telecommunications, and it now offers a broad spectrum of business services from its Jamaican service centres. Read more

    Jamaica Promotions Corporation will increase mango shipments to US

    Fresh Plaza: The Jamaica Promotions Corporation has stated that two Jamaican companies have partnered with international buyer Seasons Farm Fresh to export more mangoes to the US. JAMPRO President Diane Edwards said that there is high demand for Jamaican fresh produce and that JAMPRO is focused on meeting this demand. Read more

    Jamaica’s PM Holness says BPO industry can grow under COVID-19

    Loop Jamaica: Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the government will be doing everything in its power to protect and sustain the business process and outsourcing (BPO) industry under the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Read more

    Tourism Incubator To Be Established

    JIS: A tourism incubator is to be established to nurture new and start-up enterprises within the sector. This was disclosed by the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, at a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’, held at the agency’s head office in Kingston. Read more

    Jamaica Gov’t eyes major expansion of special economic zones

    Jamaica Observer: The Government is holding talks with a number of prospective investors on projects that are expected to establish 400 acres of additional special economic zone (SEZ) space across the island, estimated at a value of more than US$1.3 billion. Read more

    ACS Secretary-General Pays Courtesy Call to CARICOM Secretary-General

    Washington Informer: CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque on Friday received a courtesy call from Rodolfo Sabonge, new secretary-general of the Association of Caribbean of States (ACS). Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    WTO chief seeks text to advance debate over COVID-19 vaccine

    AP: The World Trade Organization chief appealed to member countries on Wednesday to quickly present and negotiate over a text that could temporarily ease trade rules that protect COVID-19 vaccine technology, as a way to ramp access to doses at a time of urgent need. Read more

    Negotiations in the Framework of the WTO are a New Model of Governance for Foreign Direct Investment: Alicia Bárcena

    ECLAC: ECLAC’s Executive Secretary was one of the main speakers at a high-level roundtable on a WTO Investment Facilitation Framework for Development for Latin American economies. Read more

    China ‘indefinitely’ suspends key economic dialogue with Australia

    BBC: China has “indefinitely” suspended key economic dialogue with Australia, the latest in a growing diplomatic rift between both countries. Relations have been on the decline since Australia called for a probe into the origins of the virus and banned Huawei from building its 5G network. Read more

    Commonwealth conference postponed again

    Nation News: The London-based Commonwealth Secretariat Friday said that the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference (CHOGM-2021) that was due to take place in Rwanda on June 21, has been further postponed. Read more

    NZ-UK Free Trade Agreement negotiations to be ‘accelerated’, as Australia streaks ahead

    Stuff: New Zealand will “intensify” free trade talks with the United Kingdom, as negotiations over market access for New Zealand’s agricultural products inch forward and Australia streaks ahead with its deal. Read more

    Australia rejigs export grants scheme

    Global Trade Review: The Australian government has announced an overhaul of a grants scheme for exporters after a review found it should be streamlined. Read more

    EU trade chief says efforts to ratify China deal ‘suspended’

    Politico: The European Commission has temporarily put on hold efforts to ratify the investment agreement with China, EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told Agence France-Presse Tuesday. Read more

    Spain urges European Commission to unblock Mercosur agreement

    Euractiv: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has urged the European Commission to do everything in its power to move forward and unfreeze progress on the Mercosur pact to send a “political signal” to China about the EU’s economic commitment to Latin America, El País has revealed. Read more

    EU turns from China to India on free trade

    EU Observer: The EU is suspending plans for a trade deal with China, while reviving those for a pact with India, in a dispute on Chinese human-rights abuses. Read more

    After 8 years, India and European Union to resume free trade pact talks

    Indian Express: Official sources in the EU also said the free trade agreement package will include an investment protection pact as well as a framework on geographical indication. Read more

    EU split on vaccine waiver idea, unlikely to take clear stance

    Reuters: European Union leaders are divided over whether to follow Washington in supporting a waiver of patent rights to COVID-19 vaccines, as many argue this would take years and not address the immediate issue of making more shots to end the pandemic. Read more

    EU negotiator Barnier spills Brexit secrets in new book

    BBC: From the moment Michel Barnier was made the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator in July 2016 he was at the heart of talks to reach a deal with the UK government. But what can we learn from his 500 pages of memoirs about the turbulent talks and what he thought of his UK counterparts? Read more

    Top U.S. oil lobby slams Mexico energy policies as undermining USMCA, discriminatory

    Reuters: The top American oil lobby is urging the U.S. government to raise concerns about Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s energy policies, which it said are undermining investor confidence and violate Mexico’s trade commitments. Read more

    Carbon emissions drop across Europe in 2020 – Eurostat

    Reuters: Carbon emissions from use of fossil fuels fell across the European Union last year, the bloc’s statistics office estimated on Friday, citing COVID-19 restrictions that shut down travel and factories across the region. Read more

    China open to trade deal either with Uruguay or with all of Mercosur, says Ambassador

    Mercopress: China’s Ambassador in Montevideo Wang Gang Wednesday underlined his country’s “open attitude” towards a trade agreement “either bilateral or en bloc” with Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) “when Uruguay or the bloc as a whole are ready.” Read more

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    The Caribbean Trade & Development Digest is a weekly trade news digest produced and 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: