Caribbean Trade Law and Development

Category: trade digest

  • Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – March 18-24, 2018

    Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – March 18-24, 2018

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade and Development Digest for the week of March 18-24, 2018! We are pleased to share some of the major trade and development headlines and analysis across the Caribbean region and the World. We hope you enjoy this edition.

    REGIONAL

    CDB programme to support increased trade among CARICOM states

    St. Kitts & Nevis Observer: The Board of Directors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved USD$750,000 in funding for a programme that will assist the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) with strengthening intra-regional trade. Read more 

    Is Guyana ready for an oil boom?

    Eurasia Review: Guyana’s story shares many similarities with the story of the ugly duckling. One of the poorest countries in South America, it has historically been entirely dependent on oil imports. Read more 

    Catfish exports

    Stabroek (Guyana): It is incomprehensible that the government here was given notification by the US government in November, 2015 of new regulations for Siluriformes (catfish) and failed to take all of the required steps to enable continued exports from Guyana. Read more 

    North America continues to dominate imports into the TCI -Gov’t makes moves to improve trade with Caribbean neighbours

    Turks & Caicos Weekly News: The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) continues to dominate imports into the Turks and Caicos Islands, accounting for $394.1 million or 91.1 percent of the total import bill for 2017. Read more 

    What is the value of CARICOM to Curacao and Sint Maarten (and to ALL Caribbean nations)?

    St. Lucia Star: Earlier in March news broke that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was officially assessing the application of Curacao and Sint Maarten for associate membership. These two islands are separated by 900 km of water but they share a cultural heritage, central bank, and a view that within CARICOM a brighter future awaits them. Read more 

    Lessons from EPA must inform Post-Cotonou Agreement – Trade Expert

    Business Ghana: Mr Tetteh Hormeku, Head of Programmes at the Third World Network, has advised governments in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to use lessons from the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) for the post-Cotonou possible framework. Read more 

    INTERNATIONAL

    Forty-four countries sign historic African Union free trade agreement

    Africa News: Forty-four African countries have signed up to a historic trade agreement aimed at paving the way for a liberalized market for goods and services across the continent. Read more

    Fiji-PNG discuss trade relations with UK post-Brexit 

    Fiji Times: The United Kingdom has begun the process of exiting the European Union (EU) and in this endeavour, it is working with the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries to avoid any trade disruptions, during and post-withdrawal. Read more 

    Brexit: Government still planning for no deal scenario

    The Independent: David Davis has said the Government will continue to plan for a no-deal scenario despite reaching an agreement with Brussels on the transition period last week.  Read more 

    Mercosur “blocks” talks on auto exports and government procurement contracts, claims EU

    Mercopress: European officials said this week that significant obstacles remain to a long-delayed trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur, even as South American officials expressed optimism a deal would be finalized soon. Read more

    Heatwaves, hurricanes, floods: 2017 costliest year ever for extreme weather and climate events, says UN

    Mercopress: Hurricanes, monsoon floods and continuing severe drought made 2017 the costliest year ever for severe weather and climate events, according to a new report by the United Nations weather agency launched on the eve of World Meteorological Day. Read more 

    India Hosting Mini-Ministerial meet to break WTO impasse 

    Economic Times: Taking a lead to break the impasse, India is hosting a two-day informal meeting of 50 WTO members here which would deliberate upon ways to create a positive atmosphere for carrying forward the mandate of the global trade organisation.  Read more

    G20 pushes for free trade as U.S. vows to defend national interest

    Reuters: World financial leaders pleaded for an endorsement of free trade on Monday amid worries about U.S. metals tariffs and looming trade sanctions on China, but Trump administration officials said they would not sacrifice U.S. national interests. Read more

     

    China threatens to raise tariffs on about $3 billion of U.S. imports

    Washington Post:  President Trump embarked Thursday on the sharpest trade confrontation with China in nearly a quarter-century, moving toward imposing tariffs on $60 billion in Chinese goods and limiting China’s freedom to invest in the U.S. technology industry. The Chinese government fired back hours later, threatening to hit $3 billion in U.S. goods with tariffs. Read more 

    US and South Korea Reach Agreement on Trade, Steel Tariffs

    Bloomberg: The U.S. and South Korea reached an agreement on revising the allies’s six-year-old bilateral trade deal and President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on imported steel, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. Read more 

    EU Commission welcomes adoption of negotiating directives for a multilateral investment court

    EU: The Commission welcomes today’s adoption by the Council of the negotiating directives for a multilateral investment court, as well as the fact that for the first time the Council makes its negotiating mandate public right at the time it is adopted. Read more 

    WTO members raise concerns over US tariffs on steel and aluminium at Goods Council

    WTO: WTO members expressed concern over the United States’ imposition of higher tariffs on steel and aluminium imports and the impact they may have on the global trading system at a meeting of the Council on Trade in Goods on 23 March, the same day the new US measure came into effect. The US responded by saying that the tariffs are necessary to address the threat these imports pose to national security. Read more 

    Appellate Body issues report regarding Russian duties on vehicle imports from Germany, Italy

    WTO: On 22 March 2018, the WTO Appellate Body issued its report in the case “Russia — Anti-Dumping Duties on Light Commercial Vehicles from Germany and Italy” (DS479). Read more 

    WTO issues compliance panel report regarding US countervailing duties on Chinese imports

    WTO: On 21 March a WTO panel issued its compliance report in the dispute “United States — Countervailing Duty Measures on Certain Products from China — Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by China” (DS437). Read more

    Liked this issue? To read past issues of our weekly Caribbean Trade & Development Digest, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please follow our blog.

  • Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – March 11-17, 2018

    Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – March 11-17, 2018

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade and Development Digest for the week of March 11-17, 2018! We are pleased to share some of the major trade and development headlines and analysis across the Caribbean region and the World. We hope you enjoy this edition.

    REGIONAL

    Work to begin on new CARICOM Strategic Plan

    Barbados Advocate: By year end the CARICOM Secretariat will be hard at work getting the framework in place for the new strategic plan for the Caribbean Community. Read more

    CSME MER Framework Workshop 

    Barbados Advocate: It is imperative that systems be put in place to more effectively monitor and evaluate the CARICOM integration journey. So says Dr. Richard Brown, Director, CARICOM Single Market and Sectoral Programmes. Read more 

    CARICOM observer mission releases preliminary statement on Grenada elections

    CARICOM: At the invitation of the Government of Grenada the CARICOM Secretariat constituted an eleven-member team to observe Grenada’s Parliamentary Election held March 13, 2018.The full statement may be read here.

    Protecting consumers in the CSME

    CARICOM: It is important to consider the protection of the consumer as many persons now engage suppliers in a different jurisdiction. This was posited by a senior official from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat during the Barbados Fair Trading Commission’s (FTC) annual lecture series held in Barbados. Read more 

    INTERNATIONAL

    EU Lists US Exports it could hit 

    CNNMoney: The EU has published a list of hundreds of American products that it could target if President Donald Trump moves forward with new tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum. Read more 

    EP wants to include gender equality in free-trade agreements

    EURACTIV: The European Parliament has adopted a resolution to better account for gender equality in trade agreements. The commission could follow up on the resolution in its agreement with Chile, which would be the first to integrate such a chapter. Read more 

    India-EU trade: India, EU to decide fate of trade agreement next month

    Economic Times: New Delhi: India and the European Union will discuss next month resumption of the much-delayed Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) that hasn’t progressed much over the past five years. Read more 

    Vietnamese farmers expect higher profits with CPTPP

    Vietnam Net: At least $40 billion worth of export turnover from farm produce in 2018 is within reach, some experts believe. Read more 

    Trade deals a priority at ASEAN-Australia summit 

    Australian Financial Review: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is pushing for free trade deals with Indonesia and the wider region to be signed by the end of this year, as he insisted there were “no protectionists” around the table at the ASEAN-Australia summit in Sydney. Read more 

    Buhari cancels Rwanda trip, reconsiders signing African trade agreement

    Premium Times: President Muhammadu Buhari has cancelled his trip to Kigali, Rwanda scheduled for Monday. Mr. Buhari was expected to attend an Extraordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) on Tuesday, March 21, to sign the framework agreement for establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area. Read more 

    Top five trade deals that changed history

    World Finance: Today, the global trading network is well established, but it has taken multiple decades and various trade agreements to reach the current degree of complexity. Read more 

    Jordan suspends free trade agreement with Turkey

    Ahval: The Jordanian government suspended a free trade agreement with Turkey, citing unfair competition, the Jordan Times reported. Read more

    Winners and Losers in an EU-UK agreement

    Financial Times: Read the article here.

    Indonesian President Widodo wants a free trade agreement with Australia

    Sydney Morning Herald: Indonesian President Joko Widodo will push to sign off an Australia-Indonesia free trade agreement when he meets Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull this weekend, declaring that only “technical” details were delaying the deal. Read more 

    Why Canada must move quickly on the new Asian trade pact

    The Globe and Mail: Now that International Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne has put Canada’s signature on the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreement, the doors to the Asia-Pacific are about to crack open for Canadian businesses. Read more 

    Severing NAFTA ties harms much more than trade

    The Hill: U.S. ties with Mexico and Canada touch the daily lives of more Americans than ties with any other two countries in the world. Trade, border connections, tourism, family ties and mutual security concerns link us closely, but we are endangering those links and our wellbeing by a contentious modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Read more 

    What impact will trade agreements have on global food markets?

    Devex: The political uncertainty surrounding the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and North American Free Trade Agreement, as well as the implications of Brexit, has left experts struggling to understand what their impacts will have on markets — particularly in developing countries. Read more 

    BONUS

    Trade War Bad for Region

    My commentary in the Business Authority of March 18 (page 15) on the possible fall-out of any trade war between the US and other major trading powers on the Caribbean.

    Liked this issue? To read past issues of our weekly Caribbean Trade & Development Digest, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please follow our blog.

  • Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – March 4-11, 2018

    Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – March 4-11, 2018

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade and Development Digest for the week of March 4-11, 2018! We are pleased to share some of the major trade and development headlines and analysis across the Caribbean region and the World. We hope you enjoy this edition.

    REGIONAL

    CARICOM Institutions talk CSME Free Movement of Persons

    CARICOM: The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat this week engaged regional institutions based in Barbados on the processes for Free Movement of persons under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). Read more 

    Trade Stakeholders from the Public and Private Sectors in St. Kitts and Nevis to Explore Importance of Trade in Services

    WINN FM: Trade stakeholders from the public and private sectors are currently participating in a three day Seminar on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) in St. Kitts and Nevis with the aim to better understand the importance of services sectors from an international trade perspective. Read more 

    CARICOM Reviews Dutch Territories’ Applications For Membership

    Curacao Chronicle: Even as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) continues to examine the issue of an enlargement policy, heads of government have mandated the secretary-general to begin negotiations for associate membership by the Dutch territories of Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Read more 

    CARICOM seeking to step-up implementation of building codes

    St Kitts & Nevis Observer: Recognising that implementing building codes is still a significant challenge to the region’s efforts to build resilience, CARICOM heads of government have asked the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to provide recommendations to expedite implementation of the codes. Read more 

    Regional Standards to be set for quality and safety of coconut water 

    Barbados Advocate: Given concerns about food safety issues in relation to the quality of coconut water sold at retailers in Barbados and across the region, efforts are being made to establish regional coconut water quality standards and protocols, to better protect consumers. Read more 

    Chastanet supports OECS oversight of Citizenship by Investment

    St Lucia Times: Prime Minister, Allen Chastanet, has said that Saint Lucia supports the idea of the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) being run out of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Read more 

    Consumer Protection in Digital Era is CARICOM goal

    St. Kitts & Nevis Observer: It is important to consider the protection of the consumer as many persons now engage suppliers in a different jurisdiction. This was posited by a senior official from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat during the Barbados Fair Trading Commission’s (FTC) annual lecture series held 8 March at the Accra Beach Hotel & Spa in Barbados. Read more 

    Exports down in January

    Breaking Belize News: Belize’s exports got off to a rough start in 2018, falling by more than 20 percent when compared to January 2017, according to the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB). Read more 

    New trade dispute brewing with Jamaica 

    Trinidad Guardian: Jamaican manufacturers say they intend to approach the island’s Anti-Dumping and Subsidies Commission after accusing their T&T counterparts of dumping flour onto the local market. Read more 

    Barbados No.1 with travellers

    Nation News: Seventy thousand travellers across the world have chosen Barbados as their place to visit in the 2017 Destination Satisfaction Index (DSI). Read more

    Concern that Caribbean women are still being marginalised

    Barbados Today: The economic progress of women in Barbados and the Caribbean as a whole continues to be thwarted, despite gains made in some areas, a senior Jamaican trade official has said. Read more 

    INTERNATIONAL

    11 countries sign revamped TPP trade deal without US

    The Star (Malaysia): Eleven nations signed a slimmed-down version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, moving to lower tariffs just as US President Donald Trump seeks to raise them after withdrawing from the deal. Read more 

    In full: Theresa May’s Speech on future UK-EU Relations

    BBC: Here is the full text of Theresa May’s Mansion House speech setting out her vision for the UK’s relationship with the EU after Brexit. Read more 

    Africa: Women-Friendly Trade – What Can Governments Do Better?

    AllAfrica: Informal cross-border trade is one of the oldest forms of economic survival for women. Prevalent across Southern and Eastern Africa, the plight of women traders are well-documented, but policies still tend to overlook their specific needs.  Read more

    2018 USTR Trade Agenda Highlights WTO Reform, FTA Talks

    ICTSD Bridges: US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer released the latest version of the annual President’s Trade Policy Agenda last week, outlining the administration’s plans for the coming year. Read more 

    Brexit: EU rejects Theresa May’s trade plan

    The Independent (UK): The EU has rejected Theresa May’s vision for a post-Brexit trade relationship, laying out its own plans and warning that her choices will have “negative economic consequences” for Britain. Read more 

    Report shows extent of endangered animal trade between Africa and Asia

    CNN: The report says that almost 1,000 at risk but legally exportable species have been transported from dozens of African nations to countries in East and Southeast Asia between 2006 to 2015. Read more 

    Theresa May’s Brexit plan to register millions of EU citizens risks descending into ‘chaos’

    Business Insider: Theresa May’s plan to register 3 million EU nationals ahead of Brexit risks failure due to under investment and government fears of a backlash by the Daily Mail, a senior former Home Office official has told Business Insider. Read more 

    Trump tariffs: China warns trade war would be ‘disaster’

    The Guardian: Any trade war with the United States will only bring disaster to the world economy, the Chinese commerce minister Zhong Shan has said, as Beijing stepped up its criticism of metals tariffs introduced by the White House. Read more 

    Canada, Mexico Stick to Nafta Plan After Trump’s Tariff Reprieve

    Bloomberg: While Donald Trump ’s tariff gambit spared his NAFTA partners for now, Canada and Mexico are pledging it won’t make them budge at the bargaining table. Read more 

    NAFTA termination could result in loss of 85k jobs in Canada: report

    Global News: The Conference Board of Canada is predicting a 0.5 per cent decline in the country’s economy resulting in the loss of about 85,000 jobs within a year if the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is terminated. Read more 

    Donald Trump signs order for metals tariff plan, prompting fears of trade war

    The Guardian (UK): Trump pushes forward with plan for 25% tariff on imports of steel and a 10% tariff on aluminum, but says exceptions will be made. Read more 

    Trump threatens with tariffs on European cars as trade war looms

    Deutsche Welle: US President Donald Trump has once more attacked the EU over trade barriers and threatened to slap a tax on imports of European cars. His comments come amid fears of a trade war over new US steel and aluminum tariffs. Read more 

    Commission extends anti-dumping measures on Chinese steel products

    EU: The Commission today prolonged the existing anti-dumping measures on Chinese imports of seamless pipes and tubes of stainless steel for another five years. Read more

    EU halts trade barrier investigation after Turkey lifts restrictions on paper

    EU: The EU officially halted its probe into trade barriers in Turkey after the country removed measures concerning imports of a particular variety of paper. Read more 

    European Commission outlines EU plan to counter US trade restrictions on steel and aluminium

    EU: The College of Commissioners discussed today the EU’s response to the possible US import restrictions for steel and aluminium announced on 1 March. Read more 

    European Commission responds to the US restrictions on steel and aluminium affecting the EU

    EU: The European Commission takes note of the announcement by the President of the United States of the imposition of restrictions in the form of an import surcharge on EU exports to the US of steel and aluminium. Read more 

    Members adopt catalogue of instruments for managing food safety, animal, plant health issues

    WTO: WTO members successfully concluded almost four years of discussion by adopting the “Catalogue of Instruments” available to WTO members for managing sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues, at an SPS Committee meeting on 2 March. Read more

    Azevêdo calls on members to avoid triggering an escalation in trade barriers

    WTO: DG Azevêdo warned of the risks posed by such measures, calling on members to reflect and avoid escalation. Read more 

    Least-developed countries urge WTO members to facilitate use of services waiver

    WTO: At a meeting of the Council for Trade in Services on 2nd of March chaired by Ambassador Julian Braithwaite (UK), least-developed Countries (LDCs) called on WTO members to undertake capacity building measures that would enable their suppliers to take advantage of preferential treatment notified under the LDC Services Waiver. Read more

    NEW ON CTLD BLOG

    ECJ rules arbitration clauses in Intra-EU BITs contrary to EU Law

    Liked this issue? To read past issues of our weekly Caribbean Trade & Development Digest, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please follow our blog.

  • Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – February 18-24, 2018

    Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – February 18-24, 2018

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade and Development Digest for the week of February 18-24, 2018! We are pleased to share some of the major trade and development headlines and analysis across the Caribbean region and the World. We hope you enjoy this edition.

    REGIONAL

    Building a climate-resilient Community among matters for CARICOM 29th Inter-Sessional Meeting

    CARICOM: The Caribbean Community’s push to build a more climate-resilient Community following the devastating 2017 hurricane season is among matters for deliberation by CARICOM Heads of Government at their Twenty-ninth Inter-Sessional Meeting in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 26 – 27 February 2018. Read more 

    Ralph Gonsalves: Golding Report ‘Unworkable’

    Jamaica Gleaner: This is an edited address delivered on February 22 at St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Kingstown. Read more 

    Growing trade deficits in the Caribbean Netherlands

    Netherlands Central Statistics Bureau: In 2017, the trade deficits of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba were higher than in the previous year. In relative terms, St Eustatius saw the sharpest increase in annual deficit. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of new figures. Read more 

    World Trade Center Arkansas to Lead Trade Mission to Caribbean

    Arkansas Matters: The World Trade Center Arkansas is leading a trade mission for Arkansas companies interested in exporting to Caribbean countries. The mission will go to the Trade Americas – Business Opportunities in the Caribbean Region Conference in Miami, Florida, from May 6-7. Read more 

    INTERNATIONAL 

    South Korea launches WTO trade challenge against U.S. duties

    Reuters: South Korea has launched a wide-ranging complaint at the World Trade Organization to challenge the U.S. use of anti-subsidy and anti-dumping duties, citing their use on steel and transformers, a WTO filing showed on Tuesday. Read more 

    India, 37 others seek WTO dispute body’s aid to fill up Appellate Body vacancies

    Business Line: A formal submission has been made by 38 World Trade Organisation members including India, the EU, China, Russia, Brazil, Russia, Turkey and Vietnam to the Dispute Settlement Body seeking a decision on launching of a selection process to fill the three vacancies in the seven-member Appellate Body pending for long. Read more 

    United States tells WTO of concerns over China’s new web access rules

    Reuters: The United States told the World Trade Organization on Friday that Chinese internet access rules coming into force next month appeared to create significant new restrictions for cross-border service suppliers and should be discussed at the WTO. Read more 

    Canada To Open Free Trade Talks With Mercosur Group Of South American Countries

    Huffpost Canada: The Canadian government plans to open free trade talks with the four-nation Mercosur trading bloc in South America, an official said on Friday, at a time when the future of NAFTA is facing increasing uncertainty. Read more 

    India Calls for Changes in WTO to Transform World Economy

    News18: India on Sunday called for bringing changes in Geneva-based World Trade Organisation (WTO) to transform the global economy. Read more 

    Egypt passes 4th WTO Trade Policy Review

    AllAfrica: Egypt managed to pass the World Trade Organization (WTO)’s fourth review of the trade policies and practices of Egypt that took place on February 20-22. Read more

    Full text of CPTPP released

    Newsroom New Zealand: The Government has released the full text of the controversial CPTPP trade deal, along with a national interest analysis touting its importance in fighting growing protectionism around the world. Read more

    French farmers hold tractor protests in Mercosur warning to Macron

    Independent (Ireland): French farmers drove tractors through town centres and blocked highways on Wednesday to oppose extra agricultural imports from South America, raising pressure on President Emmanuel Macron in the run-up to a politically sensitive Paris farm show. Read more 

    New NAFTA talks aim to clear pathway to toughest issues

    Reuters: Mexico and Canada aim to finish reworking less contentious chapters of the NAFTA trade deal with the United States in new talks beginning on Sunday, hoping to clear the path for a breakthrough on the toughest issues before upcoming elections. Read more 

    NAFTA talks go into their seventh round. Canada isn’t optimistic

    Washington Post: When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the United States this month, he didn’t go to the White House. Instead, he visited the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where he was presented with pages of the original U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement, signed by President Ronald Reagan 30 years ago. Read more

    KPMG executive says businesses not using free-trade benefits

    The Australian: Australian businesses are not substantially increasing their use of the Asian free-trade agreements each year and the Coalition needs to overhaul its trade policies, a KPMG executive says. Read more 

    Press release: CEPA EU – Indonesia trade agreement round

    TNI: Today, over 20 representatives from civil society organisations from the Indonesia and the European union, had a long meeting with negotiators of the new trade agreement between the EU and Indonesia (CEPA – Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement).  Read more

    Korea initiates WTO complaint against US anti-dumping, countervailing duties

    WTO: Korea has requested WTO consultations with the United States concerning the use of “facts available” by US investigating authorities in anti-dumping and countervailing investigations. The request was circulated to WTO members on 20 February. Read more

    WTO members agree on timetable to review use of Bali tariff quota mechanism

    WTO: At a meeting of the Agriculture Committee on 20 February, WTO members agreed on a timeline to review the operation of the 2013 Bali Ministerial Decision on tariff rate quotas and discussed a review of the landmark Nairobi Decision to eliminate farm export subsidies. Norway, Israel and Canada reported they had submitted revised schedules, formalizing their promises to eliminate these subsidies. Read more

    WTO issues panel report regarding Korean restrictions on Japanese food imports

    WTO: On 22 February the WTO circulated the panel report in the case brought by Japan in “Korea — Import Bans, and Testing and Certification Requirements for Radionuclides” (DS495). Read more 

    Trade Facilitation Agreement marks first anniversary since entry into force

    WTO: The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) marked its first anniversary since its entry into force on 22 February 2017 with WTO members making significant strides towards its implementation. WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said members continue to work to fully implement the Agreement, which will benefit particularly developing and least developed countries. Read more

    Move aside, NAFTA: New fear on the Canada-U.S. front involves steel tariffs

    CTV News: A new concern about Canada’s relationship with the United States is emerging in the foreground, with threats of global steel and aluminum tariffs now competing with NAFTA uncertainty as a source of economic anxiety. Read more

    Cabinet okays trade agreement with Canada

    The Slovak Spectator: Slovakia’s government greenlighted the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) at its February 21 session. Read more 

    NEW ON CTLD BLOG

    US House of Representatives passes GSP Renewal Bill; on to Senate

    Golding Commission concerned about Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Programmes

    Liked this issue? To read past issues of our weekly Caribbean Trade & Development Digest, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please follow our blog.