Caribbean Trade Law and Development

Tag: Caribbean

  • Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – February 17-22, 2020

    Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – February 17-22, 2020

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week of February 17-22, 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

    Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) held their 31st Intersessional Meeting in Barbados February 18-19, 2020. The Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C; MP, chaired the proceedings. The communique from the meeting may be found here.

    To watch the press conference concluding the 31st Intersessional Meeting please see here:

    REGIONAL NEWS

    Barbados unveils one-stop investment guide

    UNCTAD: As Barbados prepares to host the 15th UNCTAD quadrennial conference in October, it has become the latest Caribbean country to launch an online investment guide (iGuide). Read more

    WTO advocate argues Bahamas never to join

    Bahamas Tribune: A prominent World Trade Organisation (WTO) advocate yesterday said he doubts The Bahamas will ever join, adding: “You can lead a horse to water but can’t make it drink”. Read more

    Minister: No Wto Membership ‘For At Least Five Years’

    Bahamas Tribune: A Cabinet minister yesterday said full Bahamian membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) “cannot happen for at least within the next five years”. Read more

    Barbados off EU grey list

    Nation News: Barbados is off the grey list, which means this country is completely cleared and is no longer being seen as a non-cooperative jurisdiction for tax purposes within the global International Business sector. Read more

    CARICOM wants inter-governmental tax body to set standards, rules

    CARICOM: CARICOM Heads of Government have reiterated the call for the creation of an “appropriate intergovernmental tax body with the adequate means and powers to set standards and rules” which support an equitable and universal approach to an international tax governance infrastructure. Read more

    SG posits all-inclusive approach to strengthening CARICOM

    CARICOM: Building a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that is hardened to shocks requires an approach that embraces the talents, skills and resources of all actors of society, CARICOM Secretary-General said recently. Read more

    Fixed roaming rates for CARICOM countries coming soon

    Loop News Barbados: The Barbadian Prime Minister announced that Grenadian Prime Minister, Keith Mitchell and a team from the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME) have been working with regional telecommunication operators to implement a fixed roaming rate for CARICOM states. Read more

    T&T, B’dos working together on CSME

    Trinidad Express: BARBADOS and Trinidad and Tobago will be working together to put certain protocols in place to get the wheels of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) moving faster in 2020. Read more

    Castor Oil Sector Banking On $500m Gov’t Investment

    Jamaica Gleaner: Jamaica’s castor oil sector is barely earning from exports, and is seen as woefully underperforming its potential, but its producers are regrouping. Read more

    Consumers and the coronavirus: The implications for Jamaica

    Jamaica Observer: Despite reports by the World Health Organization (WHO) last week that the number of cases of the deadly novel coronavirus being recorded on a daily basis in China is “stabilising”, concerns expressed by manufacturers and retailers suggest there will be a domino effect to consumers. Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    EU budget: Talks end amid stand-off between ‘frugal’ and other nations

    BBC: An EU budget summit ended without agreement on Friday following a stand-off between wealthy “frugal” member states and other countries. Read more

    EU proposes rules for artificial intelligence to limit risk

    AP: The European Union unveiled proposals Wednesday to regulate artificial intelligence that call for strict rules and safeguards on risky applications of the rapidly developing technology. Read more

    Boeing asks lawmakers to suspend preferential tax rate

    Fortune: Washington state lawmakers introduced bills Wednesday, at The Boeing Co.’s request, to suspend the aerospace giant’s preferential business and occupation tax rate unless the United States and European Union reach an agreement on their long-running international trade dispute that would allow the lower tax rate. Read more

    Michel Barnier: UK can’t have Canada trade deal with EU

    BBC: The UK cannot have the same trade deal with the EU as Canada, according to the bloc’s chief negotiator. Read more

    UK unveils ‘iconic,’ blue post-Brexit passports, made by a French-Dutch company in Poland

    CNN: The British government has unveiled the country’s new, blue post-Brexit passports, hailing the return of an “iconic” document that became a thorny issue during the UK’s protracted departure from the European Union. Read more

    UK-EU trade tensions descend into ‘slide war’

    The Guardian: Two sides of negotiations issue flurry of documents through social media. Read more

    Trade Minister inaugurates seven working group to prepare country for AfCFTA

    Ghanaweb: The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyerematen, has inaugurated seven Technical Working Groups (TWGs) to spearhead the development of the country’s national programmes of action for Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT). Read more

    Does the Kenya-US free trade deal signal Nigeria’s fall from grace?

    The Africa Report: Nigeria has not managed to convince international investors – including those in the US – that it should be first in line for a post-AGOA deal. Read more

    Indo-US trade deal: The ball is now in Washington’s court

    Economic Times: Trump said his country is “not treated very well by India” but the US is “doing a very big trade deal with India”. Read more

    China to refund US trade war tariffs on some medical devices amid coronavirus outbreak

    South China Morning Post: China said on Friday it would refund tariffs already paid on a list of 55 US-made products including medical devices, engine components and timber products. Read more

    STRAIGHT FROM THE WTO

    NEW ON THE CTLD BLOG

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

  • Top 6 Trade Policy Developments Affecting the Caribbean in 2019 – Infographic

    Top 6 Trade Policy Developments Affecting the Caribbean in 2019 – Infographic

    Happy New Year all! Are you curious about what were the major trade policy developments affecting the Caribbean in 2019? The Caribbean Trade Law & Development (CTLD) Blog and Barbadian-based logistics company RDL Eagle Trade have collaborated to bring you an infographic highlighting these major developments.

    Click the infographic below to access the full document:

    This infographic was brought to you as a collaboration between the Caribbean Trade Law & Development (CTLD) Blog and RDL Legal Eagle.

  • Africa-Caribbean cooperation, regional integration and climate change action among priorities of new CARICOM chairman

    Africa-Caribbean cooperation, regional integration and climate change action among priorities of new CARICOM chairman

    Alicia Nicholls

    Within the next six months, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will seek to jointly host the first ever African Union-CARICOM Summit. This announcement was made again by Barbados’ Prime Minister, the Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, QC, who assumed chairmanship of the 15-member grouping from January 1, 2020 under its six month rotating chairmanship system.

    In her New Year’s Message as incoming chairperson, Prime Minister Mottley intimated that the summit should lay the foundation for tangible progress in  “direct air and sea access across the Atlantic, greater trade in goods and services, and more cultural exchanges between our regions.”

    2019 saw renewed interest in deepening Africa-Caribbean relations, with two African leaders (President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya) making official state visits to the region. In late 2019, Prime Minister Mottley accepted on behalf of CARICOM an offer of shared office space in Nairobi from the Government of Kenya for the hosting of a joint CARICOM Mission. For many CARICOM countries, such a mission would be their first on the African continent.

    Regional Integration

    Barbados has lead responsibility for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) under the CARICOM quasi-cabinet. Many regional observers hope that the invigorated leadership provided by Prime Minister Mottley will add much needed energy to the regional integration process, especially in the aftermath of the mirror image provided by the Jamaica-commissioned Golding Report.

    Indeed, there appears to be renewed commitment by Barbados to the CSME under current leadership. Barbados became the first country to ratify the Protocol on Contingent Rights and will also be the first to offer other CARICOM nationals free access to public schools once certain requirements are met.

    Likening the regional integration process to a relay race, Prime Minister Mottley stated that Caribbean leaders “are duty bound to continue this journey across the Community whether as a collective of the whole or in twos and threes”. However, she also sought to temper unrealistic expectations, noting that the much more resource-endowed and longer-established European Union (EU) was still working on perfecting its own regional process.

    The new CARICOM Chairman outlined several priorities with regard to the regional integration process. These are: removing the obstacles to passport-free movement and facilitating movement for work where there are opportunities; advancing the process of a single domestic space for transport and communications in the region by working to provide more affordable and reliable air and sea links between our countries; to establish a single domestic rate for telecommunications and phone calls within CARICOM; and to work with the private sector and the labour movement to provide further opportunities.

    Climate Change Action

    Since taking office as Prime Minister of Barbados, Miss Mottley has made climate change one of her signature issues on the international stage. She noted the need “to pool the funds of the region in order to be able to finance our own development trajectory for sustainable development so that we may adapt to the new realities of the climate crisis”.  

    Prime Minister Mottley took over the chairmanship from St. Lucia Prime Minister, the Hon. Allen Chastanet, whose term was July 1 – December 31, 2019. Barbados’ chairmanship will last until June 30, 2020. The last time Barbados held the chairmanship was in 2015 under then Prime Minister, the Hon. Freundel Stuart.

    The new CARICOM chairman’s speech may be watched here.

    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.

  • Conservatives win majority in UK election: A clear path forward for Brexit?

    Conservatives win majority in UK election: A clear path forward for Brexit?

    Alicia Nicholls

    Christmas came early for United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party as they have won the December 12 General Election – the Tories’ biggest victory in many years. It was the UK’s third general election since 2015 and the first December election since 1923.

    With the UK due to leave the European Union (EU) on January 31, 2020 after several delays, it would appear that this gives the Prime Minister the mandate he needs to finally fulfill the desires of those 52% of Britons who voted on June 23, 2016 to leave the EU. However, the only constant with the whole Brexit saga has been the unpredictability of this process which has claimed the premiership of two Prime Ministers thus far (David Cameron and Theresa May) and left the UK constantly seeking delays from the EU.

    Polls leading up to the election, as well as a BBC exit poll, had accurately predicted a decisive win for the Conservatives, with a strong swing away from Labour. The Tories picked up seats in traditional Labour strongholds, including in the north, Midlands and Wales.

    It should be remembered that lack of House of Commons support for her Brexit deal (even within her own party), particularly because of the controversial ‘backstop’ solution for the Irish border dilemma, led to the downfall of Mr. Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May. Another reason was that the Conservatives had lost seats in the 2017 snap election she had called, and had no longer enjoyed an overall majority. However, with a clear majority now, it should be easier for Prime Minister Johnson – a Pro-Brexiteer – to get the House of Commons’ backing he needs to get his Brexit deal with the EU passed. Additionally, it also means that he should not be as dependent on the support of more extreme members of the Party who are not in favour of a close relationship with the EU post-Brexit.

    While the Conservatives and Labour were the two major parties in the election, there were other parties such as the Liberal Democrats, the Brexit Party, UKIP, the Green Party and the Scottish National Party (SNP). One hiccup, however, is the additional support gained by the SNP and what this means for the prospect of a new Scottish independence referendum. With 62% of Scots voting to remain in the 2016 referendum, Scotland was firmly in the remain camp. According to BBC reporting, SNP political leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon lauded her party’s strong performance in this election, noting that it sent a “very clear message” that PM Johnson lacks the mandate to take Scotland out of the EU. What may this mean for the continued unity of the United Kingdom?

    In weeks to come, many pundits will be opining on what message the British electorate was sending by handing the Conservatives such a resounding victory – were they not confident in the alternatives to the Conservatives or did they simply want to hand the Conservatives a manageable majority so they could just get on with the business of delivering Brexit? For his part, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has indicated he will not fight another election.

    For the Caribbean, it should be recalled that regardless of what happens now between the UK and the EU, preferential trade between CARIFORUM countries and the UK should continue uninterrupted as the UK and CARIFORUM countries have agreed to roll over the provisions of the EU-CARIFORUM EPA (which covers trade between CARIFORUM and the current EU-28). The UK-CARIFORUM EPA, which was signed in March this year, will come into effect once the UK leaves the EU.

    While all eyes have been focused on what the election result means for Brexit, it should not be forgotten that there were several core issues which also were part of the Tories’ campaign message. Immigration, which cannot be divorced from Brexit, was a big part of the Conservative platform. With Prime Minister Johnson promising to crackdown on immigration to the UK, it remains to be seen what this means for Caribbean nationals currently living in the UK or looking to emigrate there. The Windrush Scandal remains fresh in Caribbean minds.

    The Brexit chapter may not have yet reached its conclusion and it remains to be seen whether this Conservative triumph at the polls will indeed be the clear path forward for the UK’s exit from the EU, or if other stumbling blocks, such as the whole Scottish issue, will come into play.

    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.