Caribbean Trade Law and Development

Tag: Caribbean

  • COVID-19: How have Caribbean governments responded so far?

    COVID-19: How have Caribbean governments responded so far?

    Alicia Nicholls

    Declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on March 11, 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak has now spread to well over 100 countries worldwide, including most Caribbean countries. As of March 22, Belize and St. Kitts & Nevis are the only English-speaking Caribbean countries to have not yet reported a confirmed COVID-19 case.

    Globally, the number of confirmed cases is over 300,000. In the Caribbean, the number is over 300 (if the Dominican Republic and Cuba are included). Detailed COVID-19 statistics for each English-speaking Caribbean country as at March 21, may be found here.

    While the number of cases and deaths in the Caribbean currently remain low compared to other regions, the economic fall-out is far more daunting. Tourism associations across the region have reported booking cancellations, a reduction in flight bookings and the real possibility of some accommodations having to close their doors temporarily. Similarly, many businesses across the region have begun to feel the economic pinch from declining patronage and event cancellations.

    This article takes a brief look at some of the various policy responses instituted by Caribbean governments so far to mitigate the human and economic impact of the highly contagious virus.

    Caribbean Government Policy Responses

    As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across Caribbean shores, regional governments have stepped up their responses which vary according to the severity of the outbreak in the country concerned.

    Based on media reports and government public announcements, below is a non-exhaustive list of some of the major COVID-19 policy measures implemented by Caribbean governments to date:

    A. Containment Policies

    1. Mandatory quarantining of all travellers (both nationals and foreigners) coming from selected countries – mainly the US and Europe, China, South Korea, and Iran e.g: Barbados
    2. Temporary restrictions of entry of foreign nationals from selected countries e.g: many Caribbean countries
    3. Restrictions on non-essential travel by nationals to certain affected countries e.g: many Caribbean countries
    4. Suspension of international flights or flights from certain countries e.g: Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago
    5. Refusal of docking for cruise ships with cases of respiratory illness onboard e.g: most Caribbean countries now
    6. Temporary closures of land borders, and most or all ports of entry (except for citizens or permanent residents returning home – they will be placed in quarantine on arrival) e.g: Belize, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago
    7. Restrictions on mass events, public gatherings and public events over a certain number of persons, e.g: in Barbados the number is now restricted to 25 persons
    8. Closure of beaches e.g: Tobago has closed beaches to control public gatherings
    9. Mandatory closures of bars, restaurants, casinos e.g: Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago
    10. Restrictions on public visits at hospitals, polyclinics and geriatric hospitals e.g: Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago
    11. Temporary closures of schools and other educational institutions e.g: several Caribbean countries
    12. Declaration of state of emergency e.g: Haiti, Dominican Republic
    13. Imposition of curfew with penalties for non-compliance e.g: The Bahamas, Haiti

    B. Communication Policies

    1. Establishing dedicated COVID-19 hotlines e.g: several Caribbean countries
    2. Regular press briefings on the status of the outbreak in the country and measures being taken e.g: Barbados
    3. Public service announcements/campaigns e.g: many Caribbean governments are running public service announcements on respiratory hygiene and social distancing

    C. Social and Economic Policies

    1. Stimulus package e.g: the Government of Barbados, which is currently undergoing an IMF-sanctioned adjustment programme, announced a BBD $20 million stimulus package to assist people and businesses impacted by the outbreak. The Jamaica government has also outlined a JAM $25 billion fiscal stimulus package.
    2. Tapping into disaster funds e.g: Cayman Islands has tapped into its National Disaster Fund to set aside $3 million for its COVID-19 response.
    3. Anti-price gouging policies e.g: Barbados has instituted a COVID-19 basket of goods
    4. Additional benefits for affected workers, such as extending the period of non-certified sick leave and increasing the duration period of unemployment benefits e.g: Barbados
    5. Providing assistance to affected families and small businesses e.g: increasing welfare cheques and recapitalising funds for assisting businesses
    6. Enlisting private sector and civil society support
    7. Reinstatement of standpipes e.g: Dominica
    8. Efforts to stimulate local food production e.g: The British Virgin Islands has set aside $2 Million to stimulate local food production and assist fisherfolk under its stimulus package “The Rapid Response Fishing and Farming Production Programme”.

    D. Providing external assistance to other affected countries

    Cuba has reportedly sent 144 health care workers to assist affected countries.

    This article will be updated periodically .

    Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B., is an international trade and development consultant. You can also read more of her commentaries at www.caribbeantradelaw.com and follow her on Twitter @LicyLaw.

    DISCLAIMER: All views expressed herein are her personal views and do not necessarily reflect the views of any institution or entity with which she may be affiliated from time to time.

  • Freedom of Movement of Skilled Nationals a 'fundamental objective' of CARICOM, CCJ opines

    Freedom of Movement of Skilled Nationals a 'fundamental objective' of CARICOM, CCJ opines

    Alicia Nicholls

    March 18, 2020 was a historic day for the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) when it delivered its first Advisory Opinion since its establishment.

    Inter alia, the CCJ is empowered with exclusive jurisdiction under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas to deliver advisory opinions concerning the interpretation and application of the RTC.

    For a background to the opinion, please see a previous article I co-authored with Dr. Jan Yves Remy here. In brief, the background surrounded a request by two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States (Antigua & Barbuda and St. Kitts & Nevis) to opt-out of a decision of the Conference of Heads of Government to expand the categories of skilled nationals entitled to move and work freely across the Community to include security guards and agricultural workers. The opt-outs were subsequently granted by the Conference to these two Member States for a period of 5-years.

    The Court was asked by the Community to render an Advisory Opinion on whether (1) a Member State could lawfully opt out of the decision of the Conference expanding the categories of persons entitled to move and work freely in the Community; and (2) whether the principle of non-reciprocity would enable nationals of the opting out Member States to still derive the benefits accruing under the enlargement decision.

    In its Advisory Opinion, the Court has opined that freedom of movement of skilled nationals is a ‘fundamental objective’ of the Community, but that the 5-year opt-out granted by the Conference of Heads of Government to the two Member States from the enlargement decision is not prejudicial to this fundamental objective.

    It also opined that non-reciprocity applied so other Member States must still allow Antiguan/Barbudan and Kittian/Nevisian security guards and agricultural workers access to their labour markets.

    Read the full Advisory Opinion here and the summary here.

    Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B., is an international trade and development consultant. You can also read more of her commentaries at www.caribbeantradelaw.com and follow her on Twitter @LicyLaw.

    DISCLAIMER: All views expressed herein are her personal views and do not necessarily reflect the views of any institution or entity with which she may be affiliated from time to time.

  • Can Novel Coronavirus ‘COVID-19’ impact the Caribbean?

    Can Novel Coronavirus ‘COVID-19’ impact the Caribbean?

    UPDATE: Several Caribbean countries have now reported cases of COVID-19.

    Alicia Nicholls

    Let me preface this brief article by stating that to date there has as yet been no confirmed case of COVID-19 – the official name given to the novel coronavirus – in any English-speaking Caribbean country. This, nonetheless, does not deny the region’s vulnerability to the shockwaves of the virus’ increasing global spread and concomitant potential impact on global trade, travel and the global economy, on a whole. Besides the possible human impact, Caribbean small open economies – reliant on tourism and trade for our ‘bread and butter’- could be severely impacted by the current outbreak.  

    Global impact to date

    The COVID-19 virus, which is suspected to have originated with bats, was first reported in Wuhan Province, China in December 2019. At the end of January 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) – the United Nations (UN) specialised agency in charge of public health matters – declared the outbreak of COVID-19 to be a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ and issued a set of Temporary Recommendations. According to the latest press briefing of February 28, 2020 by Director General of the WHO, “outside of China, there are now 4351 cases in 49 countries, and 67 deaths”. Further, the WHO has increased its assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of impact of COVID-19 to “very high at a global level”.

    Last week, coronavirus fears caused stock markets to suffer their worst crash since the financial crisis, while the International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted that reduced Chinese demand for crude oil will lead to the first quarterly decline in global oil demand in over a decade. China – the worst affected country to date by the virus – is expected to see a slowing in its GDP growth to 5.6%, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    Potential Impact on the Caribbean

    While there has not yet been any confirmed case of COVID-19 in the Caribbean, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has upgraded the risk of COVID-19 transmission from low to “moderate to high”.

    Of major concern to the majority tourism-dependent countries of the Caribbean is that cases of the disease have appeared in our major tourist markets – the United States, United Kingdom, and parts of Continental Europe which have direct flights to the region.  Naturally, the biggest concern is the possible loss of life, particularly for those persons with impaired immune systems, if the virus outbreak reaches the region. The virus’ estimated 1% fatality rate makes it deadlier than the flu, which is known to kill hundreds of thousands each year. Aside from the very real human impact, there is also the economic impact that could arise from loss of productivity, businesses’ loss of revenue and reduced output.

    It should be noted, however, that even if the virus outbreak does not directly reach the region, we could possibly still be impacted negatively. For example, even though the Caribbean is currently COVID-19 free, the spread of ‘fake news’ may deter persons from travelling to the region, robbing these countries of potential tourist arrivals and needed foreign exchange. This has implications for countries like Barbados, for example, which in January this year launched a year-long home-coming called “WeGathering” which encourages its diaspora to come back to the island.

    Another potential channel of impact for import-dependent Caribbean countries is from the interruption of global supply chains and impact on commodities prices. The outbreak is already having an impact on global shipping. One possible ‘benefit’ for oil-importing Caribbean countries is the slump in oil demand and reduction in oil prices, but this may negatively impact oil exporting countries like Trinidad & Tobago and now Guyana.

    This, of course, is not the first nor will it be the last public health threat the Caribbean has faced. Readers would recall SARS (another type of coronavirus) outbreak, as well as the mosquito-borne diseases of Chikungunya and Zika several years ago. However, Caribbean leaders have rightly taken the COVID-19 threat seriously. Regional governments have so far adopted different responses to the threat, with policy responses ranging from quarantining to banning of travelers originating from outbreak countries, and in some cases, denying entry to cruise ships with cases of persons exhibiting symptoms of respiratory illness. CARICOM Heads of Government have called an emergency meeting in Barbados on March 1, to discuss the latest developments.

    Both regionally and globally, cooperation among governments and with international agencies will be key to mitigating the virus’ spread and its economic impact.  In a joint statement by the WHO and UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the two agencies called for cooperation and argued that tourism’s response “needs to be measured and consistent, proportionate to the public health threat”.

    Similar sentiments were made by IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva to the G20 on the economic impact of COVID-19. The Managing Director noted while various scenarios could occur, under the IMF’s current baseline scenario “global growth for 2020 would be about 0.1 percentage points lower” than the 3.3 percent global growth the IMF forecast in January. She further advised that “global cooperation is essential to the containment of the COVID-19 and its economic impact, particularly if the outbreak turns out to be more persistent and widespread.”

    Caribbean officials will be forced to play the delicate balancing act between not overreacting and exacerbating the situation, but also seeking to do their utmost best to protect public safety within the limits of their public health infrastructure and capacity.  Timely communication with the public on, for example, their pandemic preparedness, will be necessary.

    We as citizens also have our part to play by observing hygiene best practices to prevent or mitigate the virus’ spread should it reach our region. Moreover, in light of the potential for “fake news”, it is incumbent that citizens be discerning about our information sources and rely only on official sources such as the WHO and associated regional bodies like CARPHA and PAHO.

    Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B., is an international trade and development consultant with a keen interest in sustainable development, international law and trade. You can also read more of her commentaries and follow her on Twitter @LicyLaw.

    DISCLAIMER: All views expressed herein are her personal views and do not necessarily reflect the views of any institution or entity with which she may be affiliated from time to time.

  • Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – February 23-29, 2020

    Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – February 23-29, 2020

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week of February 23-29, 2020! 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

    Fears about the global spread of COVID -19 (the official name for novel coronavirus which originated in Wuhan province, China and has started to spread to other countries) unsettled stock markets this week. Read more here.

    The USTR has released its 2020 Trade Policy Agenda and 2019 Annual Report. The full report may be accessed here.

    Canada has released its own impact assessment of the CUSMA (what the USMCA is referred to in Canada).

    A new Caribbean Chamber of Commerce will be launched to promote trade and investment between the wider Caribbean and the United Kingdom/Europe. On March 1, CARICOM will host a special meeting in Barbados on COVID-19.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    Surinamese Minister wants trade barriers lifted

    Barbados Today: A member of the Surinamese government who is in Barbados on an official visit is calling for the non-tariff barriers which continue to hinder intra-regional trade to be removed. Read more

    Caribbean Chamber of Commerce Set to Launch in Europe

    Caribbean Business: The newly founded Caribbean Chamber of Commerce in Europe (CCCE) said Thursday it will be opening its doors soon to offer Caribbean-based companies an “alternative gateway to the continent” as Britain exits the European Union. Read more

    Hopeful trade talks will resume

    Barbados Advocate: IT is hoped that once Canada and CARICOM can agree on an agenda to strengthen their ties, a place will be found for the resumption of their negotiations on an economic co-operation and development agreement. Read more

    Jamaica on Financial Action Task Force grey list

    Jamaica Observer: Jamaica and Barbados are the only two countries from the Caribbean that have been added to the list, which also includes Albania, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nicaragua, and Uganda. This means these countries are subject to increased monitoring FATF said. Read more

    Tourism Trinidad: Coronavirus could impact tourism

    Newsday: The Caribbean tourism industry can potentially benefit from the coronavirus outbreak as US travellers – the primary source of tourists into TT – could consider shifting travel plans to the region from Asia and Europe, Tourism Trinidad acting CEO Heidi Alert said. Read more

    Green urges acceleration in implementation of trade facilitation processes

    Jamaica Observer: Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Floyd Green, is urging stakeholders in the country’s trade facilitation programme to speed up its implementation. Read more

    Single Window To Be Piloted At Trade Board

    Jamaica Information Service: The Jamaica Single Window for Trade (JSWIFT) is to be piloted at the Trade Board Limited starting March 2020. Read more

    PIOJ Weighs Potential Impact Of COVID-19 On Economy

    Jamaica Gleaner: The impact of the ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus COVID-19, from an economic perspective, would primarily be transmitted through two main mechanisms, namely trade and financial flows, according to an assessment by the Planning Institute of Jamaica, PIOJ. Read more

    Commercial Success Essential To Diplomatic Missions – Ahmad

    Jamaica Gleaner: Describing commercial success as essential to present-day diplomatic missions, British High Commissioner Asif Ahmad is underscoring the United Kingdom’s (UK) commitment to improving the capability and capacity of Jamaican exporters to sell more to the UK. Read more

    Exports start off 2020 with a huge decline, imports barely affected

    Breaking Belize News: Веlіzе’ѕ ехроrt rеvеnuе ѕtаrtеd оff thе уеаr 2020 wіth а mајоr dесlіnе whіlе іmроrtѕ ѕаw аn аlmоѕt іnѕіgnіfісаnt rеduсtіоn, ассоrdіng tо thе lаtеѕt dаtа rеlеаѕеd tоdау bу thе Ѕtаtіѕtісаl Іnѕtіtutе оf Веlіzе (ЅІВ). Read more

    Guyana celebrates 1st oil shipment after major discovery

    Associated Press: Guyana’s government on Thursday prepared to sell its first barrels of oil after the discovery of large quantities of oil and gas near the South American country’s coast nearly five years ago. Read more

    A current assessment of Guyana’s coconut industry

    Stabroek: With the advent of oil, talk of diversifying our economy has intensified with particular emphasis on its agricultural base. Coconuts in particular have received much attention with awareness intensified through the 2016 Festival. Read more

    The Caribbean Just Set an All-Time Record for Visitor Arrivals

    Caribjournal: The Caribbean region set an all-time record for visitor arrivals in 2019, according to a new report from the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization. Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    Implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement: Not a sprint but a marathon

    UNCTAD: Three years have elapsed since the entry into force of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The TFA aims at boosting the speed and efficiency of cross-border trade procedures while reducing cost. Read more

    UN study projects $32 billion loss for UK post no-deal Brexit

    UN: The United Kingdom (UK) risks losing up to 14 per cent of its exports to the European Union (EU) in a so-called “no-deal” Brexit, according to a new study by the UN Conference on Trade, Investment and Development (UNCTAD). Read more

    Namibia first African country to export red meat to hungry U.S. market

    Al Jazeera: Namibia became the first African country to export red meat to the United States after it sent 25 tonnes of beef to Philadelphia, following two decades of haggling over safety regulations and logistics. Read more

    Trade war and coronavirus show retail supply chains are too dependent on China, ex-Macy’s CEO says

    CNBC: The trade war and coronavirus outbreak helped demonstrate that retail supply chains have become too reliant on China, former CEO Terry Lundgren told CNBC on Wednesday. Read more

    What are the sticking points in a post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal? 

    Euronews: Post-Brexit negotiations to sort out the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union get underway in early March. Read more

    UK Statement to the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade Committee

    Gov.uk: The UK’s Ambassador to the WTO in Geneva, Julian Braithwaite, delivered a statement to the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade Committee Meeting on 26 February 2020. Read more

    UK warns it could walk away from EU trade talks

    Al Jazeera: UK issues threat before formal talks set to begin in days, once again raising the prospect of a no-deal Brexit. Read more

    Coronavirus: Africa braces for the economic impact of China slump

    The Africa Report: The novel coronavirus Covid-19 is a black swan event: highly unlikely, and with potent potential consequences. Still, its swift initial containment to some extent demonstrates China’s capacity for fit-for-purpose strategic solutions in times of crisis. Read more

    US, ASEAN Postpone March Summit Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

    VoA: The United States said Friday that Washington was postponing a special summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as countries around the globe continued to fight the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Read more

    With Lacalle Pou, Mercosur moves further to the right

    BNAmericas: This weekend marks a rapprochement between the governments of Brazil and Uruguay a change of emphasis inside the Mercosur trade bloc in political and economic terms. Read more

    STRAIGHT FROM THE WTO

    NEW ON THE CTLD BLOG

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