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  • Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – August 16–22, 2026

    Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – August 16–22, 2026

    Dear Reader,

    Welcome to our Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week August 16–22, 2026!

    📌 THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

    • Guyana’s private sector raises concerns over proposed CARICOM tariffs affecting refined sugar, glass bottles, paints and varnishes.
    • The OECS, UNCTAD and ECLAC conclude an initiative aimed at improving Caribbean trade-in-services data and policymaking.
    • The Caribbean Development Bank launches a regional programme to improve the digital competitiveness of MSMEs.
    • U.S.–Canada trade negotiations collapse, triggering new 50% U.S. tariffs and planned Canadian retaliation.
    • China calls on the United States to withdraw new Section 232 tariffs on drones and related components.

    🌴 CARIBBEAN TRADE STORIES

    Guyana private sector raises concerns over CARICOM tariff measures

    Guyana Times: Representatives of Guyana’s Private Sector Commission (PSC) and Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) have raised concerns with the Government over several CARICOM trade and tariff measures. Among the issues discussed were continued Common External Tariff (CET) waivers for extra-regional refined white sugar, a proposed 15% CET on glass bottles imported from outside CARICOM, and CARICOM’s suspension of a planned 35% CET on imported paints and varnishes pending further assessment of regional supply and demand. Read more

    OECS strengthens capacity for trade-in-services policymaking

    OECS: The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, in collaboration with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), has concluded an initiative aimed at addressing longstanding gaps in trade-in-services data across the Eastern Caribbean. Read more

    CDB launches digital transformation initiative for Caribbean MSMEs

    Caribbean Development Bank: The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and Small Business Association of Barbados have launched a regional initiative to strengthen the digital capabilities, resilience and global competitiveness of Caribbean micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Read more

    British Virgin Islands targets India for financial services exports

    Government of the Virgin Islands: The British Virgin Islands is preparing a public-private financial services trade mission to India from August 24–31 as the Territory seeks to expand its presence in the Indian market. Read more

    Barbados SMEs prepare for New York export mission

    Barbados Today: Nearly 30 Barbadian small and medium-sized businesses are undergoing an export-readiness programme ahead of a trade mission to New York in September. Read more

    Trinidad and Tobago moves to reduce dependence on imported poultry inputs

    TTT News: Trinidad and Tobago is seeking to reduce its reliance on imported chicks and hatching eggs through the proposed establishment of a large-scale domestic poultry breeding and hatchery facility. Read more

    📢 STRAIGHT FROM THE WTO!

    India seeks WTO consultations over U.S. quartz safeguard

    India has sought consultations with the United States at the World Trade Organization over Washington’s new safeguard measure on imports of quartz surface products. The U.S. measure, which took effect on August 15, establishes a tariff-rate quota with additional duties of up to 50% applying to imports above specified quota levels. Read more

    Deadline closes for registration for WTO’s 2026 Public Forum

    The deadline for registration for the WTO’s 2026 Public Forum was August 21. This year’s Forum, themed “Powering the Future,” will take place at WTO headquarters in Geneva from September 15–17 and will focus on the role of services trade as a driver of development, income, employment and economic empowerment. Read more

    🌎 GLOBAL TRADE STORIES

    U.S.–Canada trade talks collapse as 50% tariffs take effect

    Reuters: Trade tensions between the United States and Canada escalated sharply after negotiations failed to produce an agreement and new U.S. tariffs of 50% took effect on around US$20 billion of Canadian goods. Read more

    Brazil and United States move towards further tariff talks

    Reuters: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed recently imposed U.S. tariffs on Brazilian products during a telephone call on August 21 and agreed that officials should pursue further discussions. Read more

    China urges United States to withdraw drone tariffs

    Reuters: China has called on the United States to immediately withdraw Section 232 tariffs imposed on imports of drones and related components. Read more

    Vietnam says it will address U.S. transshipment concerns

    Reuters: Vietnam has said that it will continue engaging constructively with Washington over U.S. concerns about the transshipment of goods through third countries to circumvent U.S. tariffs. Read more

    India and South Korea hold latest round of talks to upgrade trade agreement

    Republic of Korea Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources: India and the Republic of Korea held the 13th round of negotiations to upgrade their Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Seoul from August 19–21. Read more

    South African citrus exporters gain improved access to Indian market

    SAnews: South African citrus exporters have secured improved market access to India following the approval of additional cold-treatment options for fresh citrus fruit after almost a decade of negotiations. Read more

    South Africa and Zimbabwe seek to deepen bilateral trade and investment

    The Presidency of South Africa: South Africa and Zimbabwe used their fourth Bi-National Commission and a bilateral Business Forum this week to explore opportunities to expand trade, investment and industrial cooperation between the neighbouring economies. Read more

    Mexico challenges preliminary U.S. finding of dumping on strawberry exports

    Reuters: Mexico has expressed serious concern over a preliminary U.S. Department of Commerce determination that Mexican winter strawberry exports were being sold in the United States at less than normal value. Read more

    Argentina records US$2.1 billion trade surplus as exports rise

    INDEC: Argentina recorded a US$2.115 billion merchandise trade surplus in July 2026, supported by strong growth in exports. Read more

    Port infrastructure constrains Venezuela’s recovery in oil exports

    Reuters: Venezuela’s ageing oil terminals are emerging as a significant constraint on efforts to expand crude exports, with some tankers waiting as long as 30 days to load cargoes because of infrastructure problems, power outages and quality issues. Read more

    Colombia’s coffee exports escape major earthquake disruption, but El Niño threatens production

    Reuters: Colombia’s coffee industry has largely avoided significant disruption to production and exports following the recent earthquake in the country’s coffee-growing region, but emerging El Niño conditions are creating greater concerns for future output. Read more

    Thank you for reading the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest, a product of the Caribbean Trade and Development blog.

    If you found this edition useful, subscribe to our Blog to ensure you never miss a weekly update.

  • Beneficial Ownership Rules for Thee, Not Me: The Unequal Burden of Financial Transparency

    Beneficial Ownership Rules for Thee, Not Me: The Unequal Burden of Financial Transparency

    Alicia Nicholls

    As Barbados’ Parliament debated and passed what will become the Beneficial Ownership Transparency and Register Act 2026, strengthening the country’s framework for corporate transparency to comply with its international financial regulations, the United States (US) was moving in the opposite direction. Just a week after the Barbados bill was passed, the US Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) on August 14 brought into effect a final rule exempting US companies and persons from beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act.


    FinCEN also announced that it intends to remove from its BOI database, “as much as practicable”, information that would not have been required had the new rules been in place from the beginning. This includes information relating to domestic reporting companies and US persons. However, reporting obligations remain for certain entities formed under foreign law and registered to do business in the United States, although those entities generally no longer have to report beneficial ownership information on US persons. The practical effect is to shift much of the burden of beneficial ownership transparency away from US domestic entities and onto foreign entities. This differential treatment may raise questions under the US’ commitments pursuant to the World Trade Organisation’s General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), including its national treatment obligations. A fuller examination of those issues, however, is beyond the scope of this article.


    The main policy justification advanced for this shift is that collecting BOI from nearly all American small businesses imposes costs that are not justified by the information’s additional law enforcement value. It is therefore a regulatory burden with limited benefit. The Treasury characterises the revised system as a more targeted, risk-based approach. However, a May 2026 report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that the then proposed US domestic company exemption applies to more than 99 per cent of the entities previously required to report. It found that although most states collect some information about the officers, directors, managers or members of businesses operating within their borders, these persons are not necessarily the entities’ beneficial owners. Since what states collect varies considerably, GAO concluded that Treasury had not identified adequate actions to address the resulting gap in beneficial ownership information and recommended that it do so. Moreover, GAO also noted that this lack of transparency could make the US more attractive to criminals seeking to hide illegal activities. However, Treasury ignored this advice.


    This development made me wonder about its compatibility with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) rules. Established in 1989 to tackle money laundering from drug crimes initially, FATF is the global standard-setting body for anti-money laundering, countering terrorist financing and countering proliferation financing (AML/CFT/PF) regulation as outlined in the FATF Recommendations.

    Under Recommendation 24 and its interpretive notes and guidance, jurisdictions are required to ensure that competent authorities have timely access to adequate, accurate and up-to-date beneficial ownership information on legal persons. However, the FinCEN exemption does not automatically mean that the US is non-compliant with FATF Recommendation 24 since FATF permits jurisdictions to use different mechanisms to ensure timely access to reliable beneficial ownership information.The real test will be can US authorities, without comprehensive domestic BOI reporting, still obtain adequate, accurate and up-to-date information quickly enough through these now disparate sources? How effective will this new system be? That question is particularly timely as according to FATF’s assessment schedule, the plenary discussion for the US’ fifth round mutual evaluation report is scheduled for October 2026. The treatment of beneficial ownership under the US’ fifth round assessment will therefore merit close attention.


    By contrast, Barbados knows that the FATF Recommendations, despite the nomenclature, are far from recommendations or merely soft law. It also knows all too well what non-compliance could mean for its reputation as a global business jurisdiction and the frictions that being listed could cause for businesses engaging in international transactions. Barbados is not a FATF member, but a member of the FATF Global Network by being a member of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), one of nine FATF-style regional bodies. Following Barbados’ poor performance on its CFAFT fourth round mutual evaluation, FATF later placed Barbados under increased monitoring (the so-called “grey list”) in February 2020 until its removal in February 2024. Beneficial ownership information for legal entities was one of the action items Barbados had to address in order to exit the grey list.


    The US decision consequently exposes a deeper asymmetry in global financial governance. Powerful states exercise considerable influence over the development of international standards but also possess greater political and economic space to recalibrate their own participation when domestic priorities change. Small, international financial centres like Barbados have considerably less room to manoeuvre.

    This is not the first time the US has deviated from global financial transparency initiatives. In international tax transparency, the US conducts automatic exchanges of financial account information through its Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) framework rather than implementing the OECD’s Common Reporting Standard in the same manner as the more than 100 jurisdictions, including Barbados, exchanging under the CRS framework. Similarly, the US has substantially recalibrated its approach to the OECD/G20 global tax agreement. In January 2025, the Trump White House declared that commitments made by the previous administration under the OECD Global Tax Deal would have no force or effect in the US without congressional adoption. By January 2026, rather than simply adopting Pillar Two as originally envisaged, the US had secured a special “side-by-side” arrangement, allowing US-headquartered companies to remain subject to US global minimum taxes while being exempted from core Pillar Two rules.


    These examples highlight a deeper asymmetry in global financial governance: powerful countries often have greater room to reinterpret, modify or retreat from international transparency commitments, while small states face considerably less policy space, particularly where their financial sectors depend on maintaining a reputation for compliance. Unlike the WTO system, FATF contains no comparable framework of special and differential treatment for developing countries. As a result, jurisdictions are expected to satisfy common standards despite significant differences in institutional capacity, financial resources and development constraints.


    None of this is meant to suggest that Barbados should weaken its own beneficial ownership framework. After the experience under the FATF grey list and EU AML Blacklist, Barbadian policy makers and regulators are working hard to ensure that Barbados can demonstrate not just technical compliance, but also effectiveness with the FATF Recommendations so its upcoming CFATF mutual evaluation next year (2027) is a favourable one. A series of insightful articles authored by Barbadian AML expert, Louis Parris, in the local press eloquently highlights the stakes Barbados faces.

    Moreover, in principle, strong corporate transparency serves Barbados’ own interests, including in protecting the reputation and credibility of both its domestic and global business sectors. Indeed, there is a good reason why beneficial ownership information is important. Anonymous and complicated corporate structures can facilitate money laundering, and predicate crimes like corruption and tax evasion. The harder question is who bears the responsibility and the cost of providing global financial transparency? These costs will be borne by small businesses in particular which are already drowning under an ever-increasing burden of reporting requirements to ultimately, if we are being honest, to satisfy international regulators and at the pain of hefty punitive measures.


    If financial transparency is genuinely a global public good, its obligations cannot fall disproportionately on small jurisdictions with the least resources or power to shape the rules and the greatest vulnerability to the consequences of perceived non-compliance. The FinCEN decision to exempt US domestic companies from BOI reporting obligations raises once again larger questions about power in global financial governance, namely, who makes the rules, who has the policy space to retreat from them, and who is ultimately left holding the compliance bag.

    Alicia D. Nicholls, B.Sc. MSc, LLB. is an international trade specialist, with a keen interest in global financial governance and is the founder of the Caribbean Trade Law & Development Blog: http://www.caribbeantradelaw.com.

  • Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – August 8-15, 2026

    Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – August 8-15, 2026

    Dear Reader,

    Welcome to our Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week August 8 -15, 2026!

    📌THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

    Belize and El Salvador signed a historic partial scope agreement!

    India and SACU have revived trade talks!

    US-Canada trade talks are heading towards a major August 19th deadline, although significant differences reportedly remain in negotiating positions.

    In case you missed it! Global goods trade remained resilient in the first quarter of 2026 despite war in Middle East, according to World Trade Organisation (WTO). See this report here.

    🌴CARIBBEAN TRADE NEWS

    Belize and El Salvador Sign Historic Partial Scope Agreement

    Government of Belize Press Office: Belize and El Salvador significantly deepened their bilateral ties this week with the signing of a Partial Scope Agreement (PSA) on August 13, 2026, and the inclusion of a Belize Trade Mission to El Salvador, comprised of key private sector representatives, including the Belize Chamber of Commerce, Government officials, and relevant trade stakeholders. Read more

    Belize Participates in Regional Dialogue on Connectivity and Trade

    Government of Belize Press Office: Belize is strengthening its engagement with Central America as countries across the region work together to improve the movement of goods and people and facilitate trade, building a more connected and competitive region. Read more

    Barbados to Host Caribbean Investment Forum 2026 as Region Unveils Bold Vision for Global Investment

    CaribExport: The Caribbean today took a significant step towards reshaping its global investment narrative with the official breakfast launch of the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF) 2026 at the Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel in Barbados. Convening under the theme “Invest. Read more

    JBM and Ghana in Discussion to Revive Bauxite Trade

    JIS: A proposed revival of Jamaica’s long-standing bauxite trade with Ghana could generate an initial US$60 million in business. Both countries are working to strengthen economic ties through renewed cooperation in the mining sector. Read more

    JMEA President Optimistic South African Deputy Minister’s Visit Will Boost Trade Ties

    JIS: Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) President, Kathryn Silvera, has expressed optimism that the official visit of the Republic of South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Hon. Alvin Botes, will pave the way for closer commercial ties between the two nations. Read more

    🌎 GLOBAL TRADE STORIES

    Negotiators fear U.S. tariffs will be imposed, as provinces and Washington dig in on demands

    CBC: Provinces control booze bans, demand sectoral relief, but U.S. offers not enough. Read more

    Canada, U.S. far apart on tariff deal as deadline looms: sources

    CBC: Canada and the U.S. remain far apart as negotiations toward a tariff deal continue ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest deadline, according to sources. Read more

    City of London members’ slave trade links revealed

    BBC: A “leaked” report has revealed that members of the governing body of London’s Square Mile were “instrumental” in England’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. Read more

    India, Southern African customs bloc revive trade pact talks

    Reuters: India and ‌the five-member Southern African Customs Union signed terms of reference on Wednesday to start talks on a preferential trade agreement, as New Delhi seeks lower tariffs on exports including cars, pharmaceuticals and industrial machinery. Read more

    Trump administration to impose tariffs on drone imports, White House says

    Reuters: President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will impose tariffs on imports of drones and their components, including from some key U.S. allies, with the Trump administration saying the country was “too reliant” ​on foreign sources of drones. Read more

    Brazil opens reciprocity process against US over tariffs

    Reuters: The Brazilian government has opened a process that could result in the adoption ​of reciprocal measures against the United States ‌in response to tariffs recently imposed by Washington on the country’s goods, it said in a Thursday statement. Read more

    Thank you for reading the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest, a product of the Caribbean Trade and Development blog. If you found this edition useful, subscribe to our Blog to ensure you never miss a weekly update.

    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

  • Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – March 1-7, 2026

    Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – March 1-7, 2026

    Dear Reader,

    Welcome to our Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week March 1 – 7, 2026!

    📌THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

    Below are this week’s headlines!

    US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has stated that the 15% global tariff under section 122 of the Trade Act, 1974, will be implemented some time in the coming days.

    A coalition of 24 U.S. states filed a lawsuit arguing the tariff exceeds presidential authority and infringes on Congress’s control over trade policy.

    A U.S. trade court ordered the government to start refunding more than $130 billion in tariffs previously ruled unlawful. Thousands of companies have filed for refunds.

    🌴CARIBBEAN AND HEMISPHERIC TRADE STORIES

    Minister: Becoming part of Mercosur would benefit T&T

    Daily Express: Trinidad and Tobago’s potential membership in the South American trade bloc Mercosur (short for Spanish Mercado Común del Sur, or Southern Common Market) could bring significant benefits, according to Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers. Read more

    Trump threatens Cuba again, says island nation may face ‘friendly takeover’

    Al Jazeera: United States President Donald Trump has signalled that his administration is still pursuing a government overthrow in Cuba even as the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its second week. Read more

    Can Belize Grow Its Cacao Industry Into a Major Export Sector?

    Greater Belize Media: The government of Belize has launched the National Cacao Committee, a new body tasked with driving growth in the country’s cacao industry. Read more

    Belize Records Modest Growth in Niche Agricultural Exports to Asia
    Business, Companies & Organizations

    LoveFM: Belize is gaining encouraging signals on two economic fronts tonight, modest but steady growth in niche agricultural exports to Asia and renewed international attention as a competitive retirement destination in the Caribbean. Read more

    Afreximbank raises CARICOM financing cap to $5 billion to accelerate regional transformation

    Afreximbank: Pan African Multilateral Bank, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), has announced a major expansion of its engagement with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), increasing its regional financing limit from US$3 billion over the next four years. Read more

    Worrell: Barbados can’t get cheaper oil deals in CARICOM as regional trade still in US dollars

    Barbados Today: Former Central Bank Governor Dr Delisle Worrell has warned that Barbados should abandon any expectation of getting cheaper oil deals from its Caribbean partners, since oil and fuel trade within CARICOM is priced and paid for in US dollars — just like imports from the United States or India. Read more

    Bessent says global 15% tariff starts this week, predicts Trump duties will return to old levels later this year

    CNBC: President Donald Trump’s recently announced 15% global tariff will likely be implemented sometime this week, rising from its current rate of 10%, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday. Read more

    US trade court orders tariff refunds in setback for Trump administration

    BBC: A federal judge has cleared the way for thousands of businesses to receive refunds for tariffs that the US Supreme Court struck down last month. Read more

    Small business owners doubt they’ll see refunds after supreme court invalidates Trump’s tariffs

    Guardian: Ruling could free $175bn, but legal hurdles and higher costs have left businesses questioning if claims are even worth it. Read more

    Judge rules companies are entitled to refunds for Trump tariffs overturned by the Supreme Court

    NBC: In a defeat for the Trump administration, the U.S. Court of International Trade said all “importers of record” were “entitled to benefit” from the ruling against the sweeping tariffs. Read more

    Mexican companies eager to keep USMCA treaty, report shows

    Reuters: Mexican businesses are eager to maintain ​a trilateral trade agreement with the United States and Canada that is up for review this year, according ‌to a report summarizing Mexico’s public consultation, released on Monday. Read more

    📢 STRAIGHT FROM THE WTO!

    Coordinators of Plastics Dialogue ready ministerial statement and other outcomes for MC14

    The coordinators of the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP) on 6 March finalized the ministerial statement for the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), scheduled to take place on 26-29 March in Cameroon. The statement was first introduced by the co coordinators in November 2025 and has been continuously updated to reflect members’ perspectives following intensive consultations. Read more

    Chair of agriculture talks circulates revised draft text, as MC14 outline emerges

    The Chair of the negotiations on agriculture, Ambassador Ali Sarfraz Hussain (Pakistan), has circulated a revised draft text ahead of the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 26 to 29 March. Most WTO members welcomed the draft as a basis for consensus at a meeting of the negotiating body on 6 March, although a couple of members said they do not find it acceptable in its current form. Read more

    DG Okonjo-Iweala urges members to explore new ways to revitalize WTO at South-South event

    Speaking at the 8th South-South Dialogue on Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) and Development on 6 March in Geneva, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the importance of members’ work to reform the WTO in the run-up to the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) to be held on 26-29 March. She acknowledged the progress they have made in addressing LDCs’ trade priorities and encouraged LDCs to continue pursuing their trade interests. Read more

    Ahead of Women’s Day, WEIDE Fund announces US$ 1.76-million grants to women-led businesses

    To mark the upcoming International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund on 6 March announced its plans to disburse US$ 1.76 million in grants in the first quarter of 2026 to benefit 219 women-led enterprises in the Dominican Republic, Mongolia and Nigeria. The first disbursement sets in motion the innovative design of the WEIDE Fund, which introduces a new model of grant financing supported by technical assistance and exposure to a multistakeholder ecosystem for enterprises. Read more

    EU contributes EUR 75,000 to support LDC participation at MC14

    The European Union has contributed EUR 75,000 (approximately CHF 69,500) to support the participation of government officials from least developed countries (LDCs) at the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), to be held from 26 to 29 March 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The contribution aims to ensure broad and inclusive participation in the WTO’s highest decision making body. Read more

    WTO members conclude month-long reform discussions in Geneva

    WTO members on 5 March completed a series of meetings dedicated to advancing work on WTO reform. Over the past month, members have exchanged views on a draft ministerial statement and a work plan intended to frame the scope of reform efforts following the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) on 26-29 March. They also finalized preparations for the ministerial level political discussion on reform to be held at MC14 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The reform facilitator, Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, described the exchanges as substantive, thoughtful and conducted throughout in a positive spirit. Read more

    EU contributes EUR 1 million to strengthen trade capacity in developing economies, LDCs

    The European Union is contributing EUR 1 million (approximately CHF 928,000) to support developing economies including least developed countries (LDCs) in strengthening their participation in the multilateral trading system for 2026–2027. Read more

    Government Procurement Committee discusses GPA implementation, progress in accessions

    At a meeting of the Committee on Government Procurement on 4 March, parties to the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) discussed issues concerning GPA implementation and progress in accession negotiations. Parties also elected a new Committee chair, Mr William Westerveld Jensen of Norway. Read more

    Heads of WTO, EIB sign landmark agreement to boost trade and investment

    The WTO Secretariat and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 4 March to enhance sustainable trade and investment worldwide. The agreement marks the beginning of a partnership that will leverage the EIB’s financial resources and investment facilitation tools developed under the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement concluded by a large number of WTO members to improve the regulatory environment, unlock investment and expand opportunities for developing countries. Read more

    WTO members consider new e-commerce proposal and previous submissions ahead of MC14

    At a meeting on the Work Programme on E-Commerce on 3 March, WTO members considered a proposal to establish a Committee on Digital Trade as part of a draft decision on e-commerce for the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), which will take place from 26 to 29 March in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Members also continued discussions on the reinvigoration of the Work Programme and on the moratorium on the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions on the basis of two other proposals. Read more

    WTO members review five regional trade agreements, discuss transparency issues

    At a meeting of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) on 3 March, WTO members reviewed five regional trade agreements (RTAs) involving Comoros, the European Union, Mozambique, Indonesia, China, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye and the Faroe Islands. They also reviewed other topics relevant to the Committee’s work under the Transparency Mechanism for RTAs. Read more

    🌎 GLOBAL TRADE STORIES

    Voice of Nigeria: Nigeria has intensified efforts to consolidate its leadership under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) while strategically positioning itself ahead of the 14th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference. Read more

    EU keeps U.S. trade deal frozen over tariff uncertainty

    Financial Post: Top EU lawmakers on the parliament’s trade committee made the choice on Wednesday, saying they wanted more information from Washington about how it will preserve a 15 per cent ceiling on most EU products — a level both sides agreed to in last summer’s trade pact. Parliament initially halted ratification several days after the ruling. Read more

    Business mobilisation grows to 189 chambers and associations backing WTO reform and Moratorium renewal

    ICC: A growing number of chambers of commerce and business associations from around the world are urging governments to deliver concrete outcomes at the 14th Ministerial Conference of the WTO, as concerns mount over fragmentation in the global trading system. Read more

    China exports surge despite Trump tariffs

    BBC: Official figures show exports jumped by more than 20% in January and February, which is almost three times the rate predicted by economists. It puts the country on track to top the record-breaking annual trade surplus it saw in 2025. Read more

    Indonesia to file suspension of concessions against EU on palm oil dispute in WTO

    Reuters: Indonesia’s trade ministry said on Saturday that the government will file a suspension-of-concessions request ​against the European Union at the World Trade ‌Organization’s (WTO’s) dispute settlement body, citing the block’s failure to meet a WTO ruling in a palm oil case. Read more

    Thank you for reading the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest, a product of the Caribbean Trade and Development blog. If you found this edition useful, subscribe to our Blog to ensure you never miss a weekly update.

    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay