Caribbean Trade Law and Development

Tag: Caribbean trade

  • Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – April 14-20, 2019

    Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – April 14-20, 2019

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development Digest for the week of April 14-20, 2019! We are happy to bring you the major trade and development headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

    HIGHLIGHTS

    The major news this week is the release of the highly anticipated US International Trade Commission (USITC) report on the likely impact of the USMCA.The full report may be found here.

    Regionally, representatives of the EU and Caribbean met in Jamaica to discuss the EU-Caribbean pillar of the new ACP-EU partnership. Read the EU statement here.

    The Caribbean Court of Justice presented its judgement in the TCL/Arawak Cement v Rockhard Cement/Government of Barbados dispute regarding Barbados’ import tax on cement. Read the full judgement here.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    Caribbean Countries to benefit from Partnership to Develop Climate resilient Fisheries and Aquaculture Industries

    CARICOM: The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and CCRIF SPC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop climate-resilient fisheries and aquaculture industries in the region. Read more 

    Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Meets With Haitian Leaders

    Haitian Times: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with Hervé H. Denis, the newly-appointed Haitian Ambassador to the United States, last week in Washington D.C. and promised to be an advocate of both the temporary protected status (TPS) of Haitian nationals and the Caribbean Basin Recovery Act. Read more 

    Post-Cotonou negotiations an opportunity for agreement to reflect changing times – Amb. LaRocque

    CARICOM: We are embarking on an ambitious programme which involves two sets of simultaneous negotiations. While it is important that we progress equally on both fronts, it is equally important to note that the Regional Protocol cannot be finalised before completion of the Foundation Agreement. This is to ensure consistency and policy coherence. Read more 

    Jamaica leads regional consultations on new EU-ACP agreement

    Jamaica Observer: Last week the EU’s team and representatives from the various Caribbean territories which are involved with the consultations were in Jamaica where Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith hosted and chaired the two-day event at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston. Read more

    Johnson Smith urges priority for regional issues in the ACP/EU Successor agreement 

    Jamaica Observer: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith says Jamaica expects that the interests of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries will be prioritised in the ACP/EU successor agreement currently being discussed. Read more

    Jamaica trade information portal to go live in May — Shaw

    Jamaica Observer: Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Audley Shaw, says the Jamaica Trade Information Portal is expected to go live in May. Read more

    EU, Latin America and the Caribbean: Partnering for prosperity, democracy, resilience and global governance

    EU: The vision for a stronger and modernised bi-regional partnership focused on trade, investment and sectoral cooperation is set out in a new joint communication presented by the European Commission and the High Representative. This new partnership aims at working together in changing global and regional realities that require joint efforts to address common challenges and opportunities. Read more 

    China ready

    Nation News: The People’s Republic of China is ready to join hands with Barbados for the second phase of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, China, from April 25 to 27. Read more 

    Canadian firms lining up to do medical ganja business here

    Barbados Today: Barbados is moving to cash in on the growing medical marijuana industry by teaming up with a number of firms in Canada with “great interest” in setting up here, the Prime Minister has revealed. Read more

    Suriname, Guyana seek Islamic funding for development

    Gulf Times: Amid growing popularity of Islamic finance in parts of South America, two small nations in the north of the continent with a relatively sizeable Muslim minority population are now proactively seeking Islamic funding by the top international Islamic banking institution. Read more 

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    25 WTO members to participate in mini-ministerial meet on May 13-14

    Business Line: About 25 developing countries will be participating in a meeting to be held in the national capital from May 13-14 to discuss various issues related to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), an official said. Read more 

    India suspends Kashmir border trade

    France24: India has suspended trade across its disputed Kashmir border with Pakistan, alleging that weapons and drugs are being smuggled across the route, as tensions simmer between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Read more 

    Africa: Continental Free Trade Area – Stakeholders Examine Modus Operandi

    AllAfrica: A two-day national awareness and information workshop on the free intraAfrican trade area opened in Yaounde, Tuesday April 16, 2019. Read more 

    Why Traditional Chinese Medicine is China’s Fastest-growing Export to Africa?

    Pandaily: China is Africa’s single largest business partner, with growing bilateral trade volume every year. On one hand, the value of Chinese extraction in Africa has been heavily documented. Moreover, Chinese medicine seems to take over health centers in Africa. The amount of Chinese medicine in pharmacies across African cities is skyrocketing each year. Read more 

    Brexit better opportunity for African countries?

    New Vision: Events in the past couple of weeks’ point in a clear direction of a Britain that eventually ceases to be a member of the European Union (EU). Much disagreement, horse trading, voting, resignations and criticisms have trailed the idea of whether or not Britain should still go ahead and exit the EU. Read more 

    US handbags, helicopters and hazelnuts all put on $20 billion EU tariff list after Boeing ruling

    CNBC: Helicopters, handbags and hazelnuts are among the U.S. goods facing EU tariffs, after the European bloc hit back against U.S. subsidies of Boeing aircraft. The European Commission threatened to impose charges on U.S. imports worth $20 billion on Wednesday, following a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling last month which said the U.S. government had failed to end illegal support of Boeing. Read more 

    WTO Boeing dispute: EU issues preliminary list of U.S. products considered for countermeasures

    EU: The European Commission has today launched a public consultation on a preliminary list of products from the United States on which the European Union may take countermeasures in the context of the ongoing Boeing dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The public consultation will last until 31 May 2019. Read more

    Switzerland to sign belt and road deal during President Ueli Maurer’s China trip

    South China Morning Post: Switzerland will sign an accord backing China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” when President Ueli Maurer visits China this month, cementing ties with a major trading partner as other Western countries view the gargantuan project with scepticism. Read more

    Europe remains the world’s biggest development donor – €74.4 billion in 2018

    Modern Diplomacy: The European Union and its Member States continued to be the world’s leading provider of official development assistance in 2018 and stepped up their efforts directed at developing countries. Read more 

    EU-U.S. Trade: Commission welcomes Council’s green light to start negotiations with the United States

    EU: The European Commission welcomes today’s decision by the Council to adopt the negotiating directives for trade talks with the United States, thus continuing to deliver on the implementation of the Joint Statement agreed by Presidents Juncker and Trump in July 2018. Read more 

    The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) co-hosted an international symposium on 9 April.

    ICC: Held under the theme: The World Trading System at a Crossroad and WTO Reform for a Sustainable World Economy, the symposium took place in Tokyo and focused on how the global trade system could be reformed to be fit-for-purpose in the 21st century. Read more 

    China tells WTO that Australia’s ban on 5G technology is ‘obviously discriminative’

    South China Morning Post: Australia’s restriction on Chinese 5G telecoms technology was “obviously discriminative” and appeared to break global trade rules, Beijing told Canberra at the World Trade Organisation on Friday, according to a transcript seen by Reuters. Read more 

    EU threatens WTO action after US paves way for Cuban property lawsuits

    Euractiv: The EU has reacted angrily to a Trump administration announcement that Americans to sue foreign firms over seized Cuban property, threatening to take a case to the World Trade Organisation. Read more 

    Much is at stake in the Japan-U.S. trade talks

    Japan Times: In the first round of bilateral trade talks between Japan and the United States, under a framework agreed on by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Donald Trump last September, the two sides agreed to expedite negotiations on reducing tariffs on agricultural and industrial products — and to negotiate over digital trade, including e-commerce and music distribution services. Read more 

    Australia PM reveals international trade priorities

    SBS: Scott Morrison will prioritise finalising the EU trade deal and aim for more countries to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership if he wins the election. Read more 

    Trade deal nears, but tensions are rising over China’s inroads into America’s backyard

    South China Morning Post: While China and the United States are edging closer to a trade deal to end their protracted tariff war, the mutual distrust and geopolitical rivalry between the world’s top two economies appears to be escalating. Squabbles over China’s growing influence in Latin America and the Caribbean broke out again after Beijing last week secured Jamaica’s official endorsement of its vast “Belt and Road Initiative”. Read more 

    Canada’s trade deficit narrows to $2.9 billion

    CBC: Canada’s February trade deficit was $2.9 billion, narrowing the gap from a revised shortfall of $3.1 billion in January. Read more

    Qatar-Canada trade volume jumps 42% to QR671m in 2018

    The Peninsula: Bilateral economic relations between Qatar and Canada have witnessed exponential growth over the past few years as a result of friendly relations between the two countries. That growth momentum continued in 2018 as the recently released statistics show a sharp jump of nearly 42 percent in the two-way trade exchange. Read more

    India is not a tariff king 

    Business Standard: Rejecting the US allegation that India’s import duties are one of the highest in the world, experts said that several developed countries and regions including Japan, South Korea, European Union, and America maintain “extremely high” tariffs primarily on agriculture products. Read more 

    Trump forces Brussels’ hand on trade despite tariffs backlash

    Deutsche Welle: Donald Trump’s threat of auto tariffs has finally spurred EU leaders into action on a new trade deal with Washington. As the US president seeks reelection next year, will Europe hold more clout in upcoming negotiations? Read more 

    Afghanistan Trade Policy Achievements and Issues – Analysis

    Eurasian Review: In this article, it has been tried to present an argument about trade policy development in Afghanistan. Initially, providing a brief background, then summarising key policy achievements and issues in the post and pre Afghanistan WTO membership, arguing how WTO membership has worked out, existing institutional challenges to policy development and finally presenting conclusion and recommendation. Read more 

    Britain to become one of only two countries to export shellfish to China under new laws

    The Sun: International Trade Secretary Liam Fox announced the deal that marks a milestone for the sector and shows a ‘clear demand for the world-class quality of British seafood’. Read more

    Interview: BRI may help SMEs tackle global trade challenges: ITC head

    Xinhua: The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) may help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) tackle infrastructure obstacles they encounter in global trade, the head of the International Trade Center (ITC) has said. Read more 

    Maine has 171,300 jobs related to international trade, study says

    Bangor Daily News: Maine jobs related to international exports and imports totaled 171,300, with 31 percent of them linked to trade with neighboring Canada and Mexico, a new study released Thursday found. Read now

    WTO NEWS

    WTO issues panel report regarding Chinese tariff rate quotas on agricultural imports

    On 18 April the WTO circulated the panel report in the case brought by the United States in “China — Tariff Rate Quotas for Certain Agricultural Products” (DS517). Read more

    Colombia launches safeguard investigation on sheets of cardboard and polyethylene

    On 16 April 2019, Colombia notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it initiated on 9 April 2019 a safeguard investigation on certain sheets of cardboard and polyethylene. Read more 

    Marrakesh milestone — 25th anniversary of the WTO’s founding agreements

    Twenty-five years ago, on 15 April 1994, representatives from more than 120 nations gathered in Marrakesh, Morocco, to sign what was described at the time as the “greatest trade agreement in history”, one which led to the establishment of the WTO and created a new global framework for liberalizing trade in goods and services, protecting intellectual property rights, and easing trade tensions through a new dispute resolution mechanism. Read more 

    Report sheds light on impact of digital technologies on global value chains

    Global value chains (GVCs) have regained momentum in recent years, leading to the creation of new jobs and increased prosperity, especially in developing economies, according to a new report co-published by the WTO and five other institutions. New digital technologies, such as robotics and big data, are reshaping GVCs and creating new opportunities for the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises but policymakers will need to ensure the benefits are shared widely. Read more

    Azevêdo urges finance ministers to take coordinated steps to address economic imbalances

    Meeting with finance ministers and Central Bank presidents from around the world at the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC on 13 April, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo warned that the global imbalances driving current trade tensions can only be addressed by coordinated action. He cautioned that responding through trade policy measures alone would not solve these imbalances, but would likely make the problem worse. Read more 

    The Caribbean Trade & Development Digest is a weekly trade news digest published by the Caribbean Trade Law & Development Blog. Liked this issue? To read past issues, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please follow our blog.

  • Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – March 24-30, 2019

    Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – March 24-30, 2019

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development Digest for the week of March 24-30, 2019! We are happy to bring you the major trade and development headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

    REGIONAL

    UK signs trade continuity agreement with Caribbean countries

    UK Government: UK businesses and consumers will benefit from a trade continuity agreement maintaining current arrangements with countries in the Caribbean soon after Britain leaves the EU. Read more 

    Ring the alarm: Diversification of Caribbean Export must take priority

    Barbados Today: According to International Trade Attorney Magda Theodate, there are four major economic storm clouds keeping the Caribbean sun from shining over the heads of CARICOM’s 15-member state governments, and their even more vulnerable neighbours. Swift action is needed to ensure better times ahead for the people of the region. Read more 

    Bahamas delegation to attend 4th WTO accession meeting

    Eye Witness News: The Government of The Bahamas wishes to advise that a delegation is attending the 4th Meeting of the Working Party on the accession of The Bahamas to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on April 5, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. Read more 

    Poultry Producers In Push For Quotas

    Tribune 242: A Bahamian poultry producer yesterday revealed it is “pushing” for chicken imports to be regulated by quotas rather than the current tariff system as The Bahamas’ march to WTO accession continues. Read more 

    Caribbean Countries urged to take more advantage of EPA

    TV6 T&T: Former Barbados prime minister, Owen Arthur, says Caribbean Community regional countries have failed to take full advantage of the 10-year-old Economic partnership Agreement (EPA) signed between the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) and the European Union. Read more 

    Belize’s bananas safe from Brexit fallout

    Breaking Belize News: The newly signed EPA is good news for Belize’s banana industry because the UK is the major importer of Belize’s bananas, importing as much as 69 percent of Belizean bananas in 2017. Regional media outlets noted that producers of rum are also glad that trade will continue uninterrupted. Read more 

    No big deal

    Barbados Today: Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur is warning Caribbean leaders not to expect a major trade deal with the UK when it leaves the European Union (EU). Read more 

    INTERNATIONAL

    U.S. to push for comprehensive free trade agreement as it looks to open up Japan’s agriculture market

    Japan Times: U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday his administration will push for a comprehensive free trade agreement with Japan and signaled his eagerness to seek a further opening of the country’s agriculture market. Read more 

    Solomon Islands eyes more trade with Indonesia

    Radio New Zealand: It came after trade talks held between Indonesia and several Pacific Island nations last week in Jakarta. Colin Beck, a permanent secretary with the Solomon Islands Foreign Ministry, said his government wanted to open port-to-port trade in Indonesia. Read more

    Australia to sign free trade deal with Hong Kong

    The Sydney Morning Herald: Australia will sign a new agreement covering $18.8 billion in free trade with Hong Kong on Tuesday, as Labor prepares to officially back the Australia-Indonesia free trade deal if it wins government. Read more 

    Is Brexit an opportunity to revive the EU-India trade deal?

    The Conversation: The European Union and India have been negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) since 2007. Despite growing trade between the EU and India, talks stalled in 2013 after 16 rounds, only resuming in 2018. Read more 

    China Touts Progress With U.S. as Both Focus on a Final Deal

    Bloomberg: Chinese and U.S. negotiators made “new progress” in trade negotiations as both sides discussed the wording of an agreement that’s designed to resolve a bilateral trade dispute, according to Beijing’s official news agency Xinhua. Read more

    Bipartisan Support Seen for a US-Taiwan Free-trade Deal

    VoA: Influential figures in Washington are calling for the establishment of a bilateral free-trade agreement with Taiwan, even as U.S. and Chinese officials move toward a resolution of their long-running trade dispute.  Read more

    USMCA is Not a Done Deal. It Must Still Clear Three Legislative Hurdles

    Atlantic Council: On November 30, the leaders of the United States, Canada, and Mexico signed the US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), modernizing the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and “rebalancing” trade relations between the three countries, according to the US administration. Before the new pact officially takes effect, however, the legislatures of all three countries need to approve the agreement. Read more 

    ECOWAS urges member states to sign AfCFTA

    Journal du Cameroun: The Director of Trade, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mr. Gbenga Obideyi, has called on member states to sign the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) to ensure the preservation of the ECOWAS acquis.Obideyi made the call in Abuja on Thursday during a national validation workshop on the study conducted by the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) on Articulating Nigeria’s Agricultural Trade Strategies for the AfCFTA Negotiation. Read more 

    AfCFTA: One year down the road, there’s reason for celebration

    The New Times: Stephen Karingi, ECA’s Director for Regional Integration and Trade spoke to The New Times’ James Karuhanga, shedding light on what is expected between now and the next African leaders’ summit in Niamey, Niger in July. Read more 

    Is AfCFTA Good for Africa? Experts Shared Their Views at the 2019 Oxford Business Forum Africa

    African Exponent: Hosted by the School’s Oxford Africa Business Alliance, the event explored the implications of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) on the development and ease of doing business on the continent. Read more 

    UK exports to India grow at fastest rate among non-EU trading partners

    Business Standard: UK’s exports to India increased at the fastest rate among the country’s top trading partners outside the European Union (EU), with a 19.3 per cent hike in goods and services trade in 2018, according to official figures. Read more 

    Report on EU Trade Defence

    European Commission: The Juncker Commission has strengthened Europe’s trade defence toolbox through two major reforms. Since 2014, it has also applied 95 measures to ensure that European companies and workers can compete on fair terms. Two-thirds of all the 135 measures in place concern imports from China. Read more 

    ACP’s efforts post-Cotonou must be economically sustainable – Tweya

    New Era Live: Namibia has reaffirmed its commitment to the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) and European Union (EU) partnership and says it will do all it can to honour and work toward the commitments embodied in the Cotonou Agreement and post-Cotonou when it expires in 2020. This was the message by Minister of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, Tjekero Tweya, when he spoke on Wednesday at the 37TH session of ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly that took place in the Bucharest, Romania. Read more 

    WTO NEWS

    Appellate Body issues report on US compliance in the Boeing dispute

    On 28 March the WTO’s Appellate Body issued its report on US compliance in the dispute brought by the European Union in “United States — Measures Affecting Trade in Large Civil Aircraft — Second complaint” (DS353). Read more

    Guatemala initiates WTO dispute complaint against Indian sugar subsidies

    Guatemala has requested WTO dispute consultations with India regarding domestic support measures and alleged export subsidies provided by India to producers of sugarcane and sugar. The request was circulated to WTO members on 25 March. Read more 

    The Caribbean Trade & Development Digest is a weekly trade news digest published by the Caribbean Trade Law & Development Blog. Liked this issue? To read past issues, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please follow our blog.

  • Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – February 10-16, 2019

    Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – February 10-16, 2019

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development Digest for the week of February 10-16, 2019! We are happy to bring you the major trade and development headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

    THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

    Nine countries, including the US, Russia and the EU, approved an international agreement banning commercial vessels from fishing in the Arctic Sea for sixteen years in an effort to preserve the environment of the Arctic Sea.

    The US-China trade talks continued this week. Meanwhile, US President Trump may possibly be considering an extension to the 90-day truce agreed by the two behemoths in December 2018, which is supposed to end March 1.

    With Brexit only a month or so away,  UK Prime Minister Theresa May suffered yet another defeat in parliament when MPs voted 303 to 258 against endorsing her government’s Brexit negotiating strategy. While not binding, it is a further sign of declining confidence in the May Government’s handling of Brexit.

    Turning regionally, IMF Deputy Managing Director Tao Zhang gave a speech in Grenada entitled “Building Resilience to Natural Disasters and Climate Change in Grenada and the Caribbean”. Have a read here.

    REGIONAL

    T&T Ministry working with USDA to stop inferior chicken imports

    LoopTT: Government is now working with the US Department of Agriculture to stop the importation old, inferior chicken into Trinidad and Tobago, after reports that old, substandard chicken was being sold locally.  Read more 

    Guyana: No foreign exchange shortage but fewer US notes in circulation

    Demerara Waves: The Governor of the Bank of Guyana, Dr. Gobin Ganga, has assured that there is no shortage of foreign currency to transact international business such as wire transfers, but there are fewer United States (US) notes circulating at cambios and commercial banks partly because the increasing number of foreign workers are buying up the bills. Read more

    Republic of China (Taiwan) donates to trade development in Belize

    LoveFM: The Republic of China (Taiwan) is one of the country’s staunch allies that continues to contribute to Belize’s development. Their latest contribution comes in the form of sixty thousand US dollars earmarked for trade development. Read more 

    BNSI proposes introduction of front-of-pack labelling standard 

    Barbados Advocate: The Barbados National Standards Institution (BNSI) hosted a national consultation recently to get feedback from consumers on a new, compulsory standard they sought to introduce. Fabian Scott, Chief Technical Officer at the BNSI, explained that they were seeking to update the current requirements for the food labelling standard. Read more 

    Jamaica Government to Leverage New Opportunities in Partner Countries to Support Trade

    JIS: The Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, will work assiduously to leverage new opportunities in both traditional and non-traditional partner countries to support trade, investment and technical cooperation pursuits. Read more 

    Caribbean tourism on the upswing

    CTO: The Caribbean tourism sector is projected to record strong growth in 2019 on the heels of a stronger-than-expected performance last year. Read more 

    Major oil find excites southern Caribbean

    Amsterdam News: U.S. supermajor ExxonMobil announced two major oil finds offshore Guyana in the past week, and the discovery has raised the hopes for similar massive oil discoveries in two of its neighbors that incidentally already produce oil and gas. Read more 

    Spotlight on Statistics Strategy – PM Mitchell to address High Level Forum in Grenada next week

    CARICOM: A High Level Advocacy Forum on Statistics will be held next week as the Region continues to place more emphasis on the production and use of quality statistics. Read more

    Youth Bridge Gap Between Climate Change, Climate Awareness in Guyana

    CARICOM: A group of youngsters in the Caribbean who promote environmental protection in the region is on a drive to empower other youth to address some of the big issues facing their generation. Read more 

    Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce Recommends Extension of CBERA

    South Florida Morning News: The Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce (GCAA) wishes to draw to the attention of the  business community in the United States and Guyana the fact that the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) will expire on September 30, 2020 and to urge the private sector at home and in the US, as well as the Government of Guyana in collaboration with its CARICOM partners to embark on efforts to ensure that this Act is extended by the US Congress for at least another 10 years. Read more

    Guyana denies shipping ‘bad’ rice to Jamaica

    TV6 T&T: Guyana says it has not shipped any rice to Jamaica under the “Cinderella” brand for the year after media reports in Kingston said that 70 metric tonnes of White Cinderella rice, had been confiscated by Jamaican authorities. Read more

    Jamaica confiscates 70 tonnes of Guyanese rice

    Demerara Waves: The Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Division (FSPID), in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF) says it has confiscated 70 metric tonnes (1,575 bags) of White Cinderella rice from Guyana due to high microbial content. Read more

    INTERNATIONAL

    US, Canada accuse India of underreporting support for lentils, chickpeas; approach WTO 

    Economic Times: The United States and Canada have moved the World Trade Organization (WTO) accusing India of underreporting its market price support for five pulses. Read more 

    Tariffs Take Toll On American Whisky Exports

    Jamaica Gleaner: Retaliatory tariffs caused a sharp downturn in American whisky exports in the last half of 2018 as distillers started feeling the pain from global trade disputes, an industry trade group said Tuesday. Read more 

    German discounters’ banana tactics irk Ecuador

    Deutsche Welle: Ecuador is the world’s largest exporter of bananas. The fruit plays just as big a role as oil for the country’s economy and its fight against poverty. Some German discounters seem to care little about that. Read more 

    Indian Commerce ministry to notify WTO regarding revoking MFN status to Pakistan

    Economic Times: The commerce ministry would soon notify to the World Trade Organization (WTO) its decision to revoke the most-favoured nation (MFN) status to Pakistan on security grounds, an official said Friday. Read more 

    Record EU Trade Surplus With U.S. Could Put Trump Truce at Risk

    Bloomberg: The European Union’s trade surplus with the the U.S. jumped 17 percent last year to the highest on record, potentially putting at risk ongoing negotiations just as President Donald Trump is gearing up to decide whether to hit the 28-nation bloc with a new set of tariffs. Read more

    European Commission welcomes European Parliament’s support for investment screening framework

    EU: Following today’s vote, the EU is one step closer to putting in place a Europe-wide framework for screening foreign direct investment. Read more 

    Commission puts in place duties on subsidised biodiesel from Argentina

    EU: Today, the Commission imposed definitive anti-subsidy measures on imports of biodiesel from Argentina. In parallel, the Commission adopted a decision accepting sustainable price commitments (known as undertakings) from eight Argentine producers and the Argentinian Chamber of Biofuels (CARBIO) that will exempt the exporting producers from the duties within an agreed import limit. Read more 

    Israel, Iran to join Russian-led free trade agreement

    JNS: However, the two nations will sign their own free-trade accord with the bloc, meaning the adversaries could not trade freely with one another. Read more 

    U.S. drafts WTO reform to halt handouts for big and rich states

    Reuters: The United States proposed a reform of the World Trade Organization on Friday that would slash the number of countries that are eligible for “special and differential treatment”, a plan likely to be resisted by China, India and other countries. Read more 

    New treaty bans commercial fishing in the Arctic for 16 years

    Euractiv: The European Union and nine other countries, including the US and Russia, approved an international agreement on Thursday (14 February) that will prohibit commercial vessels from fishing in the Arctic in order to preserve the region’s fragile ecosystem. Read more 

    The EU’s Dirty Money Blacklist: North Korea, Syria, and… Puerto Rico?

    Foreign Policy: The U.S. Treasury Department scolded the European Union for including U.S. territories on a list of dirty money hotspots around the world, telling American banks to ignore EU directives in an unusual technocratic spat that highlights continued friction between Washington and Brussels. Read more 

    New Caledonia and Vanuatu sign free trade agreement

    Radio New Zealand: The leaders of New Caledonia and Vanuatu have signed an agreement to free up trade for a range of products. It will apply to about 50 products, with Vanuatu being able to export agricultural products including coffee without duties or quantity restrictions. Read more 

    No-deal Brexit: UK exporters risk being locked out of world’s harbours

    The Guardian: British exporters sending goods to far-flung destinations in the coming days risk being locked out of harbours around the world as a no-deal Brexit looms, business leaders have warned. Read more 

    US-China trade talks break up without a deal

    BBC: Trade talks between the US and China have broken up without a deal, with the US warning that “very difficult issues” remain unresolved. The talks in China this week were aimed at securing a new deal before further US tariffs are imposed on 1 March. Read more

    Australia-Indonesia free trade agreement to be signed before election

    Australian Financial Review: The on again, off again free trade deal between Australia and Indonesia has been salvaged after both governments said it would be signed in March, before both nations hold their federal elections. Read more 

    EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Signed

    ASEAN Briefing: On February 13, 2019, the European Parliament approved the EUSFTA by a majority vote. The stage is now set for the final ratification and entry into force of the trade pact between the two jurisdictions. Read more 

    USMCA Coalition Formed during 116th Congress 

    Global Trade Magazine: In an effort to support fastidious implementation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a group consisting of trade associations, businesses, and other advocacy groups joined forces to create what is now known as the “Pass USMCA Coalition.” Read more

    Canada won’t ratify new NAFTA until steel and aluminum tariffs lifted, warns key U.S. Senator

    Financial Post: Canada and Mexico won’t consider ratifying the revised North American Free Trade Agreement unless the United States lifts its tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley said Tuesday. Read more

    WTO’s Potential Game-Changer: Global E-Commerce Rules? – Analysis

    Eurasia Review: The recently launched WTO negotiations on e-commerce seeks to establish a new rulebook for e-commerce trade, and could be a potential game-changer for the global economy. Read more

    Traditional Knowledge, Cheaper Drugs on India’s Agenda for the WTO

    The Economic Times: India wants the World Trade Organization (WTO) to address issues related to exploitation of traditional knowledge, food security and access to affordable medicine going ahead. Read more 

    WTO NEWS

    DG Azevêdo in Mozambique: the trading system must support LDCs

    WTO: Director-General Roberto Azevêdo was in Maputo, Mozambique, today (14 February), where he met President Filipe Nyusi. They discussed how to strengthen global trade cooperation for the future, through the WTO, so it can keep supporting the integration of Mozambique and other least developed countries (LDCs) into the global economy. Read more

    Members discuss progress and assistance on Trade Facilitation Agreement’s 2nd year

    WTO: WTO members took stock of progress in implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) at the 12-13 February meeting of the Committee on Trade Facilitation a week before the second anniversary of the Agreement’s entry into force. Members called for the timely fulfilment of commitments and discussed efforts to help each other carry out the Agreement. Read more

    CLTD BLOG NEWS

    Have a read of my latest article with Dr. Jan Yves Remy, Deputy Director of the University of the West Indies’ Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy & Services entitled “Can CARICOM Countries Afford to Miss the WTO E-Commerce Train”? published here.

    The Caribbean Trade & Development Digest is a weekly trade news digest published by the Caribbean Trade Law & Development Blog. Liked this issue? To read past issues, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please follow our blog.

  • Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – January 27 – February 2, 2019

    Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – January 27 – February 2, 2019

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development Digest for the week of January 27 – February 2, 2019! We are happy to bring you the major trade and development headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

    THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

    On the Brexit front, UK Prime Minister Theresa May won support from British MPs for a renegotiation of the Draft Withdrawal Agreement, in particular the removal of the ‘Irish Backstop’, the controversial ‘insurance policy’ to avoid a hard border between the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland in the event that the UK and EU are unable to reach a trade deal within the transition period.

    However, the EU, including the Republic of Ireland, remains adamant that the current draft Withdrawal Agreement is not up for renegotiation and that the backstop cannot be removed. The UK is due to leave the EU on March 29, 2019.

    Another major trade policy development is that the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement has come into force. Additionally, the latest round of trade talks between the US and China have been hailed as a success.

    Regionally, some CARICOM leaders initiated a visit to the United Nations (UN) on the situation in Venezuela.

    REGIONAL

    $10m Investor: We Can Defeat WTO ‘Concerns’

    The Bahamas Tribune: A $10m poultry farming investor yesterday expressed confidence that The Bahamas could follow Jamaica’s self-sufficiency lead despite its “concerns” over WTO’s potential impact. Read more 

    JMEA head cites one-sided trading conditions affecting Jamaica

    LoopJamaica: President of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters’ A’ssociation (JMEA), Metry Seaga, has described the favourable trade conditions that Jamaica extends to its overseas trading partners as being one-sided, saying that too often the same treatment is not returned to the country’s manufacturers and exporters. Read more 

    Port Operator KFTL Boasts Record Container Moves In A Day

    Jamaica Gleaner: Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited, KFTL, a subsidiary of the French-based shipping company CMA CGM, said that on January 24 it recorded the best performance ever in the history of the port of Kingston in terms of container moves. Read more 

    Statistical Institute of Belize: Belizeans paid an average of 30 cents more for goods and services in 2018

    Breaking Belize News: For the year 2018, Belizeans paid an average of 30 cents more for goods and services, while for the month of December specifically, consumer prices were about 10 cents less when compared to the year before. Read more 

    Statement on second day of visit to the UN by Delegation of CARICOM Member States

    CARICOM: On Tuesday, 30 January 2019, the delegation of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) comprising Dr the Hon. Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of S.Kitts and Nevis (Chairman of CARICOM) and Dr the Hon. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, the Hon. Peter David, Foreign Minister of Grenada, H.E. Irwin LaRocque, CARICOM Secretary-General, as well as the Permanent Representatives of these countries continued its engagements at the United Nations and at the Trinidad and Tobago Permanent Mission in New York on the situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and its implications for the Community. Read more 

    Belize exports first shipment of crude soybean oil to Jamaica

    LoveFM: Belize has made its first shipment of crude soybean oil to Jamaica. The five containers were exported last week and were supplied by Bel-Car Exports and Imports located in Spanish Lookout, Cayo District and Northern Grains Cooperative located in Blue Creek, Orange Walk District. Read more 

    CARICOM Leaders To Meet With UN Secretary General On Venezuela

    Jamaica Gleaner: Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders are to meet with the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday to discuss the ongoing political situation in Venezuela where the government of President Nicolas Maduro is under international pressure to step down. Read more 

    Barbados hosting EU funded meetings

    TV6: Barbados is hosting a two-day consultation aimed at continuing the development of a framework for an effective platform for structured and continuous dialogue between the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) and French Caribbean Outermost Regions (FCORs) and British and Dutch Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs). Read moreRead more

    WTO lacks clout on dispute rulings

    Bahamas Tribune: The failure to enforce its rulings on trade disputes is among the “biggest criticisms” that can be levelled against the World Trade Organisation (WTO), a Bahamian arbitrator has charged. Read more 

    INTERNATIONAL

    1-in-3 UK firms have relocation plans due to Brexit

    Euractiv: Brexit has prompted almost a third of British companies to move some operations abroad or at least consider it, a survey from an employers group showed on Friday (1 February). Read more 

    UAE initiates WTO proceedings against Qatar

    Gulf News: The UAE Government announced on Tuesday that it has initiated World Trade Organisation, WTO, dispute-settlement proceedings against Qatar following its ban of the sale of UAE products in Qatari markets. Read more 

    China, U.S. make important progress in trade talks, paving way for further consultations

    Xinhua: Negotiators from China and the United States have made important progress in the latest round of high-level talks to resolve their economic and trade frictions, laying foundation for further consultations, according to the visiting Chinese delegation. Read more 

    Is WTO Article 24 the antidote to a No Deal Brexit? Euronews Answers

    Euronews: Nigel Farage, one of the UK’s leading proponents of a ‘hard Brexit’ told Euronews yesterday that the negative impacts of Britain leaving the EU without a deal could be eliminated by the use of “Article 24 of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)”. Read more 

    Trump sends Congress list of planned USMCA trade policy changes

    Washington Examiner: The Trump administration formally gave Congress a list of its proposed changes to trade policy, requests that will put the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade into effect. Read more 

    WTO chief is in denial over climate impact of trade 

    Climate Change News: When the head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) says trade does not impact the environment, we should all be worried. Read more 

    US, China may cross swords on e-commerce at WTO

    VoA: China has given up its long-held resistance to the World Trade Organization’s push for global standards for the $27 trillion e-commerce market. Some analysts say this is a direct result of the trade war with the United States, which is forcing China to seek wider cooperation with trading countries. Read more

    Sturgeon to visit US and Canada for talks on trade links

    BBC: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to visit the US and Canada next week. The trip is planned in a bid to build stronger trade links between Scotland and North America. Read more

    Japan-EU free trade deal takes effect

    NHK: A comprehensive free trade deal between Japan and the European Union has come into force. The pact will eventually remove tariffs on more than 90 percent of imports from both sides and liberalize rules in a broad spectrum of fields. Read more

    Brexit: MPs back May’s bid to change deal

    BBC: MPs have backed seeking “alternative arrangements” to replace the Irish backstop in Theresa May’s Brexit plan. Read more 

    Safeguards in free trade agreements: Council adopts horizontal framework for bilateral measures

    EU: The EU will soon have in place an overall framework for ensuring consistency of safeguard measures included in free trade agreements. The Council today adopted a regulation streamlining the inclusion of safeguard measures in trade agreements so that they are applied effectively and consistently across the board.  Read more

    Iraq, Jordan sign free trade agreement

    Middle East Monitor: Jordan has reached a new agreement on free trade with Iraq, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Rajai Muasher, said yesterday. Read more 

    UK cannot simply trade on WTO terms after no-deal Brexit, say experts

    The Guardian: The UK will be unable to have frictionless, tariff-free trade under World Trade Organization rules for up to seven years in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to two leading European Union law specialists. Read more 

    WTO Launches Investigation Into Trump’s China Tariffs, Official Says

    Bloomberg: The World Trade Organization launched an investigation into President Donald Trump’s tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods, ratcheting up tensions as the two nations are set to begin a new round of trade talks, according to an official with knowledge of the probe. Read more 

    EU to fight US tariffs on Spanish olives at WTO

    Deutsche Welle: The European Comission will back Spain’s fight to defend its olive exporters, who were hit by Donald Trump’s tariffs in June 2018. Madrid considers the punitive measure to be “an evident prejudice” on olive producers. Read more 

    China accuses US of a ‘blatant breach’ of trade policy in WTO meeting

    CNBC: Chinese representatives met with the World Trade Organization on Monday to begin the process of legally challenging United States tariffs on China’s exports, Reuters reported, citing a transcript of the meeting’s discussion. Read more 

    WTO NEWS

    United Arab Emirates requests consultations with Qatar on goods restrictions

    WTO: The United Arab Emirates has requested WTO dispute consultations with Qatar regarding certain measures restricting the import, distribution and sale of goods in Qatar from the UAE (DS576). The request was circulated to WTO members on 31 January. Read more

    European Union initiates WTO dispute proceedings against US olive duties

    WTO: The European Union has requested WTO dispute consultations with the United States concerning US anti-dumping and countervailing duties imposed on imported ripe olives from Spain. The request was circulated to WTO members on 31 January. Read more 

    Panels established to rule on US, Turkish tariff measures

    WTO: At a meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on 28 January, WTO members agreed to establish a dispute panel to rule on additional duties imposed by the United States on certain imports from China. Members also agreed to establish a panel to rule on additional duties levied by Turkey on certain imports from the United States. Read more 

    The Caribbean Trade & Development Digest is a weekly trade news digest published by the Caribbean Trade Law & Development Blog. Liked this issue? To read past issues, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please follow our blog.