Caribbean Trade Law and Development

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  • Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest – November 1-7, 2020

    Caribbean Trade and Development News Digest – November 1-7, 2020

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week of November 1-7, 2020! We are pleased to bring you the major trade and development news headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

    THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHT

    The WTO General Council this week postponed the meeting it had scheduled for 9 November to consider the appointment of the next WTO Director-General. Nigerian candidate Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the candidate for whom the WTO membership expressed support, but her selection was contested by the US. Read more here.

    Come January 20, 2021, the US will have its 46th president. US Democratic Party candidate, former Vice President under the Obama administration and Delaware Senator, Joe Biden, has been declared the President-elect, winning the US presidential election and defeating incumbent Republican president, Donald Trump. Biden’s VP pick, Senator Kamala Harris who is of Indian and Jamaican parentage, will be the female VP and the first person of colour to do so. Of particular interest to the Caribbean is that she is the first person of Caribbean heritage to rise to the office.

    On the other side of the Atlantic, ‘significant differences’ are making a post-Brexit UK-EU deal elusive, says UK PM Boris Johnson. Read more.

    Meanwhile, the UK and Kenya successfully concluded negotiations on a trade deal. Kenya would be the sixth African country with which the UK has secured a post-Brexit trading arrangement. Read more

    Regionally, Prime Minister of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, was elected for an unprecedented 5th term of office. Read more

    REGIONAL NEWS

    Invest Barbados stands by its criticism of EU Blacklisting amid claims it misunderstood the issue

    Barbados Today: Invest Barbados has rubbished claims by a European Union (EU) official that there are “unfounded concerns” and misconceptions about the island’s inclusion on the EU’s list of “non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes”. Read more

    Belize passes historic legislation banning gillnet fishing

    BBN: Тhіѕ wееk, thе Gоvеrnmеnt оf Веlіzе (GОВ) роѕіtіоnеd thе соuntrу аѕ а glоbаl lеаdеr іn ѕuѕtаіnаblе dеvеlорmеnt bу раѕѕіng lеgіѕlаtіоn tо bаn thе uѕе оf gіllnеtѕ, а dеѕtruсtіvе tуре оf fіѕhіng gеаr, frоm bеіng uѕеd іn Веlіzеаn wаtеrѕ. Read more

    CTO launches #TheCaribbeanAwaits campaign for Tourism Month

    LoopTT: The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has announced a social media campaign dubbed, #TheCaribbeanAwaits, in observance of Caribbean Tourism Month this month. Read more

    Panama and Guyana preparing to join Latin American hemp rush

    BBN: Аѕ аnnоunсеd bу Аttоrnеу Gеnеrаl аnd Міnіѕtеr оf Lеgаl Аffаіrѕ Аnіl Nаndlаll, Guуаnа’ѕ gоvеrnmеnt іѕ rеvіеwіng fеаѕіbіlіtу ѕtudіеѕ аnd hаѕ dіѕсuѕѕеd hеmр trіаlѕ. Іn Раnаmа, gоvеrnmеnt rерrеѕеntаtіvеѕ аnd dерutіеѕ іn thе Nаtіоnаl Аѕѕеmblу аgrееd tо fоrm а соmmіttее tо аnаlуzе hеmр’ѕ роtеntіаl fоr іnduѕtrіаl dеvеlорmеnt durіng dіѕсuѕѕіоnѕ аbоut а рrороѕеd hеmр lаw. Read more

    China and Jamaica extending bilateral trade agreements

    NYCaribNews: During a virtual meeting with China’s Ambassador to Jamaica, Tian Qi on Friday, October 30, Audley Shaw, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, says he is committed to exploring the possibilities of pursuing greater cooperation with the Government of China. Read more

    Jamaica pushing to export pork, other items to China

    Jamaica Observer: The Jamaican Government is targeting the export of pork to China as the Andrew Holness Administration signals its intent to pursue greater cooperation with Beijing in areas of trade. Read more

    Jamaica, other C’bean countries to benefit from value chain intervention

    Jamaica Observer: Jamaica is benefiting from intervention aimed at strengthening the value chain for the production of indigenous black castor oil. Read more

    JSWIFT Project Being Implemented by JCA

    JIS: The Jamaica Single Window for Trade (JSWIFT) Project is at various stages of implementation by the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), which is spearheading the initiative’s rollout on behalf of the Government. Read more

    Challenges with CARICOM Bubble with COVID Says Dr. Ralph Gonsalves

    TV6: The chairman of CARICOM says, there is a major challenge with the CARICOM travel bubble allowing scheduled International and regional flights during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

    Mariano Browne: Refinery hard to restart

    Newsday: Former trade minister Mariano Browne has said many obstacles exist to a restart of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery. Read more

    SheTrades Hub to support female entrepreneurs in Trinidad & Tobago

    LoopTT: Government has affirmed its commitment to providing opportunities to female entrepreneurs as part of driving the country’s COVID-19 economic recovery. SheTrades Hub, Trinidad and Tobago, was launched yesterday making this country the first in the Caribbean to officially launch one. Read more

    Saint Lucia, U.S. and Taiwan Deepen Investment and Entrepreneurship Partnerships

    US Embassy: In support of Saint Lucia Business Month, the U.S. and Taiwan embassies joined efforts to explore private investment and entrepreneurship opportunities with Saint Lucia. Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    WTO Negotiating Group Hears Brazil’s Proposal on Fisheries Subsidies

    IISD: World Trade Organization (WTO) members continued discussions on addressing harmful fisheries subsidies throughout October. The 20 October meeting of the Negotiating Group on Rules heard a proposal from Brazil on percentage cuts to subsidies, and discussed the issue of proportionality in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing violations. Read more

    WTO members greenlight EU sanctions against US over Boeing aid

    Euractiv: World Trade Organisation members gave the green light Monday (26 October) for Brussels to slap tariffs on $4.0 billion in US imports annually in retaliation for illegal American aid to plane maker Boeing. Read more

    Africa free trade agreement must be rolled out by January after pandemic delay – Secretariat

    News24: Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat told delegates at the annual competition law, economics & policy conference on Wednesday that the Secretariat was at advances stages of concluding phase one of the agreement which deals with the trading of goods and services. Read more

    Rwanda-Ghana Relations to Spur Africa Trade Agenda

    AllAfrica: Rwanda and Ghana have resolved to boost bilateral relations with a broad, varied economic agenda at the core. This week, Foreign Affairs Minister Vincent Biruta was in Ghana to take part in a series of events that officials say will help to strengthen diplomatic and economic cooperation between the two countries. Read more

    Brexit: ‘Significant differences remain’ over trade deal

    BBC: Following a call with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday, the PM said progress had been made but there were still issues around the “level playing field” and fishing. Read more

    Brexit talks remain deadlocked going into decisive week

    The Guardian: The Brexit negotiations remained stuck after a call between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen before a decisive week of talks. The European commission president and the prime minister both highlighted in their post-call statements the contentious issues of EU access to British waters and agreement on future rules to ensure fair competition. Read more

    Brazil to lead MERCOSUR talks; Deeper cooperation in defence, space, Ayurveda and agriculture, says India’s envoy to Brazil

    Financial Express: To further strengthen their ties, India and Brazil elevated their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership in 2006 and since then the relationship has witnessed an upward trend. President Jair Bolsonaro was the chief guest at the Republic Day this year. Read more

    Argentina wants EU to eliminate zero tariff access for Falklands’ exports

    Mercopress: Argentina held a meeting with the European Union ambassador and 21 of 27 EU members’ representatives in Buenos Aires and formally called for an end of the support for UK Falklands’ sovereignty recognition in the ongoing Brexit negotiations between Brussels and London. Read more

    US soybeans being loaded in Louisiana for Brazil

    Mercopress: A U.S. grain export terminal near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is loading about 38,000 tons of U.S. soybeans on a bulk cargo vessel for shipment to Brazil, according to Southport Agencies shipping lineup. Read more

    China’s exports surged unexpectedly last month, as pace of import growth cooled off

    South China Morning Post: China’s exports grew by 11.4 per cent in October from a year earlier while imports grew by 4.7 per cent. Read more

    Branding rights on Basmati rice: Pakistan prepares response for European Commission

    The News: Pakistan has prepared a detailed response for submission before the European Commission on December 10, 2020 in order to foil the Indian attempts for obtaining branding rights on Basmati rice, Adviser to PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood said on Friday. Read more

    UK and Kenya secure a trade agreement

    Gov.uk: The UK has moved a step closer to signing a sixth trade deal in Africa today (3 November), as negotiations on a trade deal are finalised with Kenya. The agreement will ensure all companies operating in Kenya, including British businesses, can continue to benefit from duty-free access as they export products including vegetables and flowers to their customers back in the UK. Read more

    UK-Australia trade deal ‘within months’

    The Canberra Times: The United Kingdom hopes to be able to reach a trade agreement with Australia within months, British trade minister Liz Truss says. Read more

    Irish businesses told not to wait for trade deal to prepare for Brexit

    Irish Times: Irish businesses that trade with the UK should not wait until a trade deal has been agreed between the UK and the EU to begin their preparations for Brexit, customs clearance service Declaron has warned. Read more

    RCEP summit on Nov. 15 to discuss trade deal by year-end, without India

    Nikkei: Asian-Pacific leaders representing the nations involved in the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will soon discuss reaching a long-awaited agreement by the end of the year, Nikkei learned Friday.

    Thailand ready to attend RCEP trade deal

    Bangkok Post: Thailand is ready to attend the signing of the long-awaited Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at the 37th Asean Summit under the chairmanship of Vietnam next week. Read more

    Is the Pacific’s new trade deal an early Xmas gift or a double edged sword?

    RNZ: The Australia and New Zealand led PACER Plus, is touted as a trade and development agreement that will strengthen economic development in the region. Nine Pacific countries have signed on to the deal with six having ratified it so far. 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:

  • Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – August 11 -17, 2019

    Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – August 11 -17, 2019

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week of August 11-17, 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

    ECLAC’s Foreign Direct Investment in the Latin America and Caribbean Report 2019 revealed that while FDI to the entire LAC region increased by 13.2% in 2018 versus 2017, in the Caribbean, inflows shrank by 11.4% due to lower investment in the Dominican Republic ($2.535 billion dollars, -29%). Read the report here.

    The WTO has also reported that the growth of world merchandise trade volumes is likely to remain weak in the third quarter of 2019 according to that organization’s Goods Trade Barometer, released on 15 August. Read more

    It was announced that the UN will be hosting its first ever Trade Forum on September 9-13, 2019 and will be entitled “SDGs and Climate Change”.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    New Customs Act (2019) to promote Jamaica’s socio-economic development

    Jamaica Observer: Arising from a decision of Cabinet in 2017, the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) was tasked with the responsibility to develop a new legislative framework which would further promote business opportunities for Jamaica, particularly in the areas of shipping, logistics and international trade. Read more

    Eel Export Tax Jumps from 42¢ to $16.00 per kg

    Haiti Sentinel: A memorandum from the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR) dated August 12, 2019 stated that “from now on, the export costs of the eels are set at 1,500 gourdes ($15.77 [USD]) per kilogram.” Read more

    Haiti and Dominican Republic Teaming Up against Cocoa Cultivation Threat

    Haiti Sentinel: Haiti and the Dominican Republic, together with representatives of the private sector of both countries, are working to define and apply a common strategy to prevent an eventual occurrence of moniliasis, a disease that attacks cocoa crops. Read more

    Green welcomes mapping of Jamaica’s cultural, creative industries

    Jamaica Observer: Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Floyd Green, says the Mapping of Cultural and Creative Industries in Jamaica will increase the awareness of the island’s resources and give an accurate valuation of the industries. Read more

    Belize Minister of Investment leads delegation visit to Taiwan

    Breaking Belize News: Minister of State for Investment, Tracy Panton, and an accompanying delegation visited the Republic of China (Taiwan) this week as one of several activities commemorating the 30th anniversary of Belize and Taiwan’s diplomatic relationship. Read more

    Delays at the Port costing Barbados government

    Barbados Today: Goods imported into Barbados take four times as long as they do in neighbouring St Lucia to be cleared, the head of the Port of the Bridgetown has revealed, complaining of the cost of the delay to Government. Read more

    Belize and Republic of China (Taiwan) strengthening ties through new agreement

    Breaking Belize News: Today, the Government of Belize (GOB) and the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) (RoC) signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to engage in the negotiation of a Partial Scope Agreement (PSA) geared towards formalizing trade relations between the two countries. Read more

    The Bahamas’ Ease of doing business committee satisfied with improvements

    The Nassau Guardian: Chair of the National Ease of Doing Business Committee (EODB) Lynn Holowesko said the committee is very pleased with many of the policies introduced in the 2019/2020 budget aimed at improving the business climate in the country, particularly surrounding immigration, conveyance valuations and estate planning. Read more

    Customs Fraud Fighting Initiative Launched in The Bahamas

    The Bahama Journal: The Bahamas Customs Department and Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest introduced the new online portal Click2 Clear, which is designed to protect against customs fraud. Read more

    Guyana working closer with India to build solar energy capacity

    Kaieteur News: The Head of State noted that the relations between the two countries continue to be enhanced by high-level engagements between officials of both states as Guyana would have signed and ratified the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance in January 2018 under his tenure. Read more

    Chastanet Meets With US Delegation

    The Voice: St Lucia Prime Minister met with representatives of the US House of Representatives. Read more

    CBU President calls for preservation of indigenous broadcasters

    RJR: President of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), Gary Allen has expressed the need for a sincere commitment to the preservation of indigenous broadcasters in recognition of the integral role they play in social and economic development. Read more

    Sugar Association of the Caribbean wants governments to tax sugar coming outside of CARICOM

    Breaking Belize News: The Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) is calling for Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations to place Common External Tariffs (CETs) on white sugar imported from outside the region to strengthen the regional market. Read more

    EU releases food for Haiti in response to food crisis

    Jamaica Observer: The European Union (EU) has released €9 million in humanitarian aid to Haiti, in response to the deteriorating food and nutrition situation in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) member state. Read more

    T&T Prime Minister envisions one border for region as Carifesta begins

    LoopTT: Carifesta XIV opened on Friday night with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley calling for regional unity. Read more

    Time to Fully Implement CSME

    Trinidad Guardian: If ever there was op­por­tu­ni­ty and ne­ces­si­ty for Cari­com coun­tries to ful­ly im­ple­ment the 30-year old Cari­com Sin­gle Mar­ket and Econ­o­my, the “sub­dued glob­al eco­nom­ic ac­tiv­i­ty and glob­al trade” of the present makes it the right “Time for Ac­tion.” Read more

    Caricom’s Assistant Secretary General, CSME is not a dream

    Trinidad Guardian: The CARI­COM sin­gle mar­ket and econ­o­my (CSME) and CARI­COM is not a fan­ta­sy but a con­crete sit­u­a­tion that is mov­ing for­ward. This is ac­cord­ing to CARI­COM’s As­sis­tant Sec­re­tary-Gen­er­al in the Di­rec­torate for Trade and Eco­nom­ic In­te­gra­tion, Joseph Cox. Read more

    Water Scarcity May Be New Way of Life for Caribbean, St. Kitts and Nevis Minister warns

    CARICOM: Minister of Public Infrastructure, Honourable Ian “Patches” Liburd, says that climate change related challenges such as floods, sea level rise, drought and extreme weather conditions are the new norm for the Caribbean. Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    Ottawa announces $1.75-billion compensation for dairy farmers to offset impact of trade deals

    Financial Post: Agriculture minister says Liberals are committed to no longer cede market share in the dairy sector in future international free trade negotiations. Read more

    Australian Government releases list of items the EU wants protected in free trade deal

    News.au: Australian cheesemakers could be dealt a major blow as the European Union targets the naming rights to some of the most popular products. Read more

    Cambodia-European Union trade deal is on the chopping block

    Al Jazeera: Accusations of human rights abuse by the Cambodian government may force the end of a preferential trade agreement. Read more

    Brazil’s Guedes threatens to quit Mercosur if populist opposition wins Argentina election

    Reuters: Brazil will pull out of the Mercosur trade bloc if the opposition party wins Argentina’s presidential elections later this year and closes the economy with protectionist policies, Brazil’s Economy Minister Paulo Guedes said on Thursday. Read more

    US retailers to rely on Vietnam amidst exits from China’s textile industry

    Singapore Business Review: Vietnam’s textile sourcing rose 13% YoY in Q1 2019.Vietnam is expected to benefit the most from plans by US retailers to diversify production to other manufacturing hubs and reduce reliance on China for their textile needs, according to a Fitch Solutions report. Read more

    India’s export basket skews towards services, pulls down trade deficit

    Livemint: India’s export basket is undergoing a silent transformation, a trend that explains why the services sector, which accounts for about half of India’s gross domestic product (GDP), is doing better than other segments of the economy. Read more

    US-China trade war hits Africa’s cobalt and copper mines with 4,400 jobs expected to vanish

    South China Morning Post: The US-China trade war is partly to blame for Anglo-Swiss mining giant Glencore’s move to shut a cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo and copper mining shafts in Zambia, with the probable loss of about 4,400 jobs, analysts say. Read more

    China Makes Up US Trade War Deficit by Buying from ASEAN, Belt and Road Countries

    China Briefing: China is balancing the US trade slowdown with more bilateral trade with ASEAN and Belt and Road Initiative countries. Read more

    US-UK trade pact ‘won’t pass Congress if Good Friday deal undermined’

    Euronews: There is no chance that a trade agreement between the United States and Britain will pass Congress if Brexit undermines the Good Friday peace accord between Ireland and Northern Ireland, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday. Read more

    UK ‘first in line’ for US trade deal, says John Bolton

    BBC: The UK is “first in line” for a trade deal with the US, President Trump’s national security adviser has said. John Bolton said the US supported a no-deal Brexit and added Washington would propose an accelerated series of trade deals. Read more

    Norway Freezes Support For Amazon Fund: EU/Brazil Trade Deal At Risk? – Analysis

    Eurasia Review: Ola Elvestrun, Norway’s environment minister, announced Thursday that it is freezing its contributions to the Amazon Fund, and will no longer be transferring 300 million Norwegian Krone (US$33.2 million) to Brazil. Read more

    Nigerian Traders Seek National Assembly’s Ratification of AfCFTA Agreement

    AllAfrica: The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) has advised the National Assembly to urgently ratify the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement to ensure its speedy implementation. Read more

    Ghana is best entry point for foreign investors to Africa – Trade Minister

    Ghanaweb: Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and Industry, has said that Ghana is the best entry point for foreign investors to do business in Africa because of its investor-friendly policies. Read more

    Sadc launches Business Council

    The Chronicle: Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has officially launched a new Business Council, an over-arching regional private sector platform aimed at increasing collaboration with the public sector and accelerating regional economic development and industrialisation. Read more

    Brexit: judge fast-tracks challenge to stop Johnson forcing no deal

    The Guardian: Hearing in Edinburgh to block suspension of parliament backed by more than 70 MPs. Read more

    EU’s Juncker tells Britain: no-deal Brexit will hurt you the most

    EURACTIV: A no-deal Brexit would hurt Britain more than the rest of Europe no matter how much Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government pretends otherwise, outgoing European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in remarks published on Saturday (10 August). Read more

    US and Britain discuss trade deal that could take effect on 1 November

    EURACTIV: Britain and the United States are discussing a partial trade accord that could take effect on 1 November, the day after Britain is due to leave the European Union, a senior Trump administration official said on Tuesday (13 August). Read more

    Trump threatens to pull out of WTO

    WTO: At the site of an under-construction petrochemicals plant in Monaco, Pa., for a speech Tuesday that was to be about energy policy, Trump said that the United States has been taken advantage of by WTO member states, especially China, for too long — and it was about to stop. Read more

    ‘India, China No Longer Developing Nations, Will Not Let Them Take Advantage’: Trump Flays WTO Status

    News 18: Earlier in July, Trump asked the WTO to define how it designates developing-country status, a move apparently aimed at singling out countries like China, Turkey and India which are getting lenient treatment under the global trade rules. Read more

    India’s seafood exports to EU to be hit after Vietnam-EU free trade pact

    Hindu Business Line: India’s seafood exports to the European Union is set to drop sharply this year after its biggest competitor Vietnam signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Bloc in July that helps it export products to the EU without any customs duty, according to the Maharashtra region head of the seafood exporters body. Read more

    US-China trade war — The unlikely European winners

    Deutsche Welle: The imminent US tariffs on Chinese goods are expected to throw up some unexpected winners in Europe, a study shows. The gains for the European countries are only likely to increase if China chooses to retaliate. Read more

    European Commission proposes adjustments to the existing safeguards for steel

    EU: The Commission today presented a proposal for adjustments to the existing safeguard measures for steel. Read more

    South Korea hits back at Japan in WW2 dispute

    BBC: South Korea has said it will take Japan off its favoured trade partners’ list. Read more

    WTO NEWS

    NEW ON 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:

  • Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – June 2-8, 2019

    Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – June 2-8, 2019

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week of June 2 – 8, 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 TRADE HIGHLIGHTS

    After threatening to impose tariffs on Mexico if that country does not stem illegal migration to the US, the Trump Administration this week announced that US and Mexico have reached a deal. Read the Joint Declaration here.

    The WTO issued its Annual Report 2018, as well as its updated one page dispute settlement case summaries (1995-2018) accessible here.

    St. Vincent & the Grenadines was elected to the UN Security Council, becoming the smallest nation ever to hold a Security Council seat. Read the press release here.

    On June 6 and 7, 2019, the United States and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) held the eighth meeting of the United States-CARICOM Trade and Investment Council (TIC). Read release here.

    The Thirty-Sixth Meeting of the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) was Thursday and Friday (June 6-7, 2019) to discuss matters in relation to Culture within CARICOM. Read here.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    Expanding China-Caribbean trade

    Barbados Today: Economic and political ties between the People’s Republic of China (China) and the Caribbean as a whole have undergone a substantial deepening in recent years. Read more

    Grenada nutmeg gets FDA approval

    Nation News: Chairman of the Grenada Cooperative Nutmeg Association (GCNA), Leo Cato says Grenada now has the opportunity to exploit the market in the United States, having recently passed inspection by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Read more

    Trump admin imposes new travel restrictions on Cuba, banning cruise ships

    CNN: The US announced major new restrictions on US citizens traveling to Cuba on Tuesday, blocking the most common way Americans are able to visit the island — through organized tour groups that license US citizens to travel automatically — and banning US cruise ships from stopping in the country. Read more

    Government Pursuing Programme to Facilitate Trade

    JIS: Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, says the Government has commenced a programme of trade facilitation to increase Jamaica’s chances of global competitiveness. Read more

    Trade Information Portal to be Promoted Heavily at Diaspora Conference

    JIS: Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, says the Jamaica Trade Information Portal (JTIP) will be promoted heavily to members of the diaspora at the upcoming Eighth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference. Read more

    BP Payments to Government more than doubled last year

    Saturday Express: Though still far below 2013 levels, the country’s largest natural gas producer more than doubled its contribution to the Government coffers last year to US$360.5 million from US$148.7 million the year before, London-listed BP plc’s Payment to Governments declaration showed last week. Read more

    GRDB rejects Suriname envoy’s reported rice plague statement

    Stabroek News: The Guyana Rice Development Board today “categorically” rejected statements in Suriname’s De Ware Tijd’s, dwtonline quoting Suriname’s Ambassador to Guyana Ebu Jones as saying that an insect plague has broken out in the rice sector. Read more

    Post COTED 48: Highlights of the Agenda

    Directorate General for Foreign Trade (Belize): The 48th Regular Ministerial Meeting of the Council of Trade and Economic Development (COTED) was recently held in Georgetown, Guyana from 29th to 30th April, 2019. COTED, a collection of Trade Ministers designated by member states, is the organ of the Caribbean Community tasked with the responsibility of promoting trade and economic development in the Community. Read more

    CARICOM, Indonesia strengthen ties

    CARICOM Today: A new chapter in the growing friendship between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Indonesia was opened on Friday 31 May 2019, as CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque accredited a new envoy of the Southeast Asian country. Read more

    Antigua and Barbuda signs CARIFORUM-UK EPA with UK

    Antigua News Room: Antigua and Barbuda has today signed the CARIFORUM-UK Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the trade continuity agreement signed between the UK and a series of countries in the Caribbean on 22 March, and in the UK in April. Read more

    Gopee-Scoon pushes US investment in T&T

    The Guardian: Trade and In­dus­try Min­is­ter, Paula Gopee-Scoon is pro­mot­ing T&T’s in­vest­ment op­por­tu­ni­ties to US firms in­ter­est­ed in ex­pand­ing their busi­ness­es in the Caribbean. Read more

    Duck virus triggers poultry ban from Guyana

    Trinidad Express: Trinidad & Tobago Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat has announced an immediate ban on raw and cooked poultry originating from Guyana. Read more

    CDB support for regional trade facilitation initiative

    Nation News: Making regional trade easier is the goal of a recent grant which the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) approved for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Read more

    Regional Ministers of Culture, Officials to meet in Guyana for COHSOD this week

    CARICOM today: The Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD), will gathehr for its Thirty-Sixth Meeting on Thursday and Friday (June 6-7, 2019) to discuss matters in relation to Culture within CARICOM. Read more

    CARICOM-US Relations: What Of CBI?

    Jamaica Gleaner: You will recall from previous articles that the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) comprises the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) and the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBPTA). CBERA’s duration is indefinite, but CBPTA, which amends provisions of CBERA, will expire on September 30, 2020 and would need to be extended. Read more

    Guyana Livestock Authority Says Trinidad’s Poultry Ban ‘Ill-Advised’

    Jamaica Gleaner: A recent ban on poultry from Guyana by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has been described as “ill-advised and premature”. Read more

    Mobile number portability for ECTEL Member States

    CARICOM Today: All member states of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL), will have access to Mobile Number Portability (MNP), as of Monday. Read more

    Duty-free concessions for entertainers

    Nation News: Local entertainers have been granted duty-free concessions. Days before the official launch of Crop Over 2019, Minister of Culture, Sports and the Creative Economy, John King made the announcement at the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) this afternoon. Read more

    Guyana Agreement remembered on ACP day

    CARICOM Today: Friday, June 7, 2019 is celebrated as ACP Day. The Georgetown Agreement establishing the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States was signed on Friday, June 6, 1975 in Georgetown, Guyana. Read more

    BIDC Buyers’ Programme opens doors, facilitates new opportunities for local manufacturers

    Barbados Advocate: The fourth Buyers’ Programme now in its fourth year, is being hosted by the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation in collaboration with the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association and the Caribbean Export Development Agency. It is intended to be a supporting activity for BMEX which takes place over the weekend. Read more

    ACP-EU Partnership – Group of 79 Insists On Long-Term Trade Relations

    AllAfrica: The African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of states has recognised the importance of maintaining long-term trade relations with the European Union (EU) on the one hand, and with the United Kingdom (UK) on the other hand, which are beneficial to all stakeholders. Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    Rare Earths Battle Looms as U.S. Aims to Counter China Export Threat

    Bloomberg: The U.S. and China are heading for a stand-off over critical minerals used in everything from washing machines to military hardware. Read more

    US sanctions on Cuba could hurt Spanish hotel operators

    Deutsche Welle: The Trump administration is imposing tougher sanctions on Cuba, a move that could have serious consequences for Spanish hotel chains operating on the island. How will it affect locals who work in the tourism industry? Read more

    African free trade – ready for the next steps?

    Deutsche Welle: Africa’s new free trade zone only exists on paper. Ministers from the 23 signatory countries are now discussing its implementation. Africa’s biggest economies are not at the table. Read more

    Canada appeals WTO ruling on U.S. lumber duties: official

    Reuters: Canada has appealed against a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel ruling in a case it lost in April that would allow the United States to use “zeroing” to calculate anti-dumping tariffs on lumber, a WTO official said on Wednesday. Read more

    Trump sees possible U.S.-UK trade deal once UK removes ‘shackles’

    Reuters: U.S. President Donald Trump said during his visit to London on Monday that the United States and Britain could soon negotiate a trade deal. Read more

    Nigel Farage to send own team to US for Brexit trade deal talks as UK ‘inferior’
    Express: Farage will pull together his own delegation and send it to Washington to strike a trade deal with the US after it “dawned on” him that the Americans have done their homework and have the upper hand in negotiations. Read more

    Argentina, Brazil say free trade accord with EU at hand

    Yahoo News: The presidents of Argentina and Brazil said Thursday that an agreement is imminent on a free trade agreement between the European Union and the South American trading bloc Mercosur. Read more

    Bill Morneau’s hasty bill to protect the steel industry carries risks

    CBC (Canada): The broad political support greasing the wheels of C-101, Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s new legislation to change Canada’s trade safeguard rules, may obscure the calculated risk the Liberal government is taking with its strategy to protect the steel industry. Read more

    U.S. tightens Venezuela oil sanctions, indicates more actions to come

    Reuters: The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday tightened its pressure on Venezuela’s state-owned oil company by making clear that exports of diluents by international shippers could be subject to U.S. sanctions. Read more

    In Full: China’s White Paper on U.S. Economic and Trade Talks

    Bloomberg: On Sunday June 2, China released a government white paper of more than 5,000 words on its trade talks with the U.S. and Vice-Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen held a press conference to discuss the matter that day. What follows is an English translation of the paper. Read more

    U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Treasury respond to the “White Paper” issued by China on June 2, 2019

    USTR: The United States is disappointed that the Chinese have chosen in the “White Paper” issued yesterday and recent public statements to pursue a blame game misrepresenting the nature and history of trade negotiations between the two countries. To understand where the parties are and where they can go, it is necessary to understand the history that has led to the current impasse. Read more

    Trade tensions have hit cargo demand in Asia, but there’s a silver lining for regional airlines, experts say

    CNBC: The ongoing trade war between the United States and China is negatively affecting air cargo demand for Asian airlines, according to the director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines, a regional trade body. Read more

    There’s only a ‘very small’ chance of a no-deal Brexit, says UK’s Hammond

    CNBC: The probability of the U.K. leaving the European Union without a deal is “very small,” according to Philip Hammond, Britain’s chancellor of the exchequer. Read more

    China’s Xi says world’s multilateral trade system must be protected

    Reuters: Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Friday for world powers to protect the global multilateral trade system and said it was important to find a solution to trade disputes despite disagreements. Read more

    World trade is projected to grow 2.6 per cent in 2019: WTO

    Gulf Today: Mounting trade tensions, an increase in trade-restrictive measures and continuing economic uncertainty created real challenges for world trade in 2018, with trade projected to grow by just 2.6 per cent this year, according to the 2019 World Trade Organisation, WTO, report. Read more

    UK calls for progress in reforming global trade rules at G20

    Gov.uk: Dr Liam Fox, International Trade Secretary, is attending the G20 Ministerial meeting on Trade and Digital Economy in Tsukuba, Japan this weekend (Saturday 8 to Sunday 9 June). Read more

    G20 finance chiefs to warn of trade risks, but differ on how ‘pressing’ they are

    CBC (Canada): Global trade tensions threaten an expected pick-up in economic growth this year and in 2020, a draft communiqué by the world’s financial leaders showed on Saturday, but the policymakers were divided on whether the need to resolve them was “pressing.” Read more

    G20 ministers agree on guiding principles for using artificial intelligence

    Japan Times: Ministers from the Group of 20 major economies Saturday kicked off two days of meetings on trade and the digital economy, during which they agreed on guiding principles for using artificial intelligence. They also faced another round of discussions likely to highlight divisions over trade issues such as reform of the World Trade Organization. Read more

    EU to propose workaround to avoid U.S. block on WTO judges: document

    Reuters: The European Union is set to propose creating a shadow system to get around a U.S. block on appeals in disputes at the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to a draft proposal circulated to national lawmakers. Read more

    Canada endorses plan to stop Trump administration from disrupting WTO: trade minister

    Global News: Canada’s trade minister is endorsing a European Union plan to prevent the Trump administration from paralyzing the World Trade Organization’s dispute-settlement body later this year. Read more

    India may oppose efforts to seal trade deal at G20 meet

    Livemint: Attempts by the US, Japan and Australia to finalize a new trade deal, scrapping curbs on data flows, at the G20 trade ministers’ meeting in Japan this weekend, could prompt a push-back from India and other developing countries. Read more

    Trump says U.S. and Mexico reach last-minute deal to avoid tariffs

    CBS: Mexico has agreed to U.S. demands that it tighten its borders to stop the flow of illegal Central American immigrants from coming into the U.S. through mexico. The deal suspends steep tariffs on imported Mexican goods that were to go into effect on Monday. Read more

    Trade Tensions Worry Ship Operators

    Wall Street Journal: Global ship operators that normally begin the summer preparing for peak shipping season instead are bracing for a surge in tariffs. Read more

    Trump: Britain’s NHS should be ‘on the table’ in trade deal talks

    Al Jazeera: On the second day of his state visit to the United Kingdom, Trump also said the National Health Service (NHS) should be included in any post-Brexit trade deal with the US. Read more

    WTO NEWS

    • Russia notifies launch of safeguard investigation on tinplate
      by WTO
      On 11 March 2026, the Russian Federation notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it had initiated on 4 March 2026 a safeguard investigation on tinplate (certain flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel) imported into the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union.
    • Launch of third phase of EIF activities at MC14 high-level event
      by WTO
      A high-level event marking the launch of the Enhanced Integrated Framework’s (EIF) third phase of activities will take place on the margins of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 25 March. The EIF’s work is dedicated to harnessing trade and investment for prosperity and sustainable economic growth in least-developed countries (LDCs).
    • WTO chairpersons for 2026
      by WTO
      The WTO General Council, on 11 March 2026, noted consensus on a slate of names of chairpersons for WTO bodies.

    NEW ON CTLD BLOG


    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 subscribe to our Blog below:

  • Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – April 28 – May 4, 2019

    Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – April 28 – May 4, 2019

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week of April 28-May 4, 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

    This week, the CARICOM Council on Trade and Economic Development (COTED) held its 48th meeting, while the 19th Spe­cial Meet­ing of the CARI­COM Heads of Gov­ern­ment on Se­cu­ri­ty took place in Trinidad later in the week. On May 2, the US began enforcing Title III of the Helms-Burton Act of 1996 allowing US investors to bring claims against those found to be trafficking property confiscated by the Cuban government.

    The EU has launched a public consultation as part of its evaluation exercise of the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement. The EU also released their proposal on WTO rules for ecommerce.  Meanwhile, the WTO announced a new fund to assist Least Developed Country members’ participation in fisheries subsidies talks.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    Cuba Denounces Intensification of US Blockade before WTO

    Prensa Latina: Cuba denounced in Geneva before the World Trade Organization (WTO) the intensification of the United States, following the activation of Title III of the Helms Burton Law, diplomatic sources say. Read more 

    Carnival hit with Helms-Burton lawsuit for using Havana terminal

    Travel Weekly: A company that owned the cruise terminal in Havana prior to its 1960 confiscation by the Castro government has filed suit seeking damages from Carnival Corp. Read more 

    Trust Deficit Hurting Agricultural Exports

    Jamaica Gleaner: Erasing the trust deficit between local farmers and the exporters who peddle their produce to the Jamaican diaspora in North America and the United Kingdom must be addressed as a matter of priority. Read more

    St. Vincent and the Grenadines hit by cattle shortage

    St Lucia News Online: Local butchers are scheduled to meet with Saboto Caesar, the minister of agriculture, on Monday, amidst claims that there is a cattle shortage in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Richard Gibson, owner of Midway Butchers, told SEARCHLIGHT this week that this country was experiencing a cattle shortage as a result of exports to Grenada. Read more 

    No need for alarm as regional labelling standards

    Jamaica Observer: A regional standard for the labelling of pre-packaged foods is currently being revised, and is being led by the Caricom Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) – the regional standards development body. Read more 

    Take care of matters that are important to people – COTED Chair, CARICOM SG

    CARICOM: Barbados Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the Hon. Sandra Husbands, wants Trade Ministers to take action on matters that will allow the people of the Region to actively feel the benefit of the CSME. Read more

    Regional rum industry looking to increase share of global market

    Nation News: CARICOM Trade Ministers approved a range of recommendations aimed at positioning the region’s rum industry to better take advantage of the global market. Read more 

    CARICOM urges US to maintain duty-free market access

    Dominica News Online: CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque has expressed CARICOM’s interest in the renewal of legislation for the extension of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) and the WTO waiver beyond December 2019 to allow continued duty-free access to the US market. Read more 

    Jamaica PM provides details of meeting with US president 

    JIS: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the recent meeting with President of the United States of America (USA), Donald Trump; and several Caribbean leaders provided a direct opportunity for the strengthening of bilateral and regional relationships. Read more 

    Trade Ministers support international competitiveness for regional rum industry

    Barbados Advocate: CARICOM Trade Ministers who met in Guyana this week, on April 29, approved a range of recommendations aimed at positioning the region’s rum industry to better take advantage of the global market. Read more 

    Implementation of CSME cannot be a shifting target- CARICOM Secretary-General warns COTED

    Kaieteur News: CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque has called for consistent efforts of Regional Heads for the implementation of recommendations, towards the achieving goals set out under the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). Read more 

    Customs and Excise Department holds Asycuda sensitization workshop

    Searchlight: Direct trader input, faster clearance time, and increase in revenue collection are just some of the benefits of using ASYCUDA software. That’s the word from ASYCUDA Coordinator at the Customs and Excise Department, Samantha Robinson. Read more

    Bim in ‘new’ world battle, says Husbands

    Barbados Today: Barbados could soon find itself in another compliance battle with an international body over its trade and taxation practices, Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Trade Sandra Husbands told Parliament today. Read more

    Rowley: Robust regional security is essential

    Guardian (T&T): Fol­low­ing are the open­ing re­marks de­liv­ered by Prime Min­is­ter Dr Kei­th Row­ley at the 19th Spe­cial Meet­ing of the CARI­COM Heads of Gov­ern­ment on Se­cu­ri­ty cur­rent­ly tak­ing place in Port-of-Spain. Read more 

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    Does China really control Africa’s destiny?

    Devex: For decades, development partners from industrialized nations have relied on aid and foreign direct investment to finance infrastructure developments, stimulate economic growth, and build technical capacity. Countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany have, for many years, led the way in providing international support to developing economies. Read more 

    AU Commission prepares for single market launch in July

    The East African: The African Continental Free Trade Area will enter into force during the next African Union Summit slated for Niamey, Niger, in July. Read more 

    African countries urged to discuss modalities as AfCFTA edges closer to effect

    Xinhua: The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on Saturday urged African countries and pan-African institutions to prepare modalities as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) edges closer to entry into force. Read more 

    Malaysia: ASEAN’s e-commerce gateway to China

    The ASEAN Post: As we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution and practically everything is moving online, the importance of e-commerce is heightened now more than ever before. E-commerce, in fact, is quickly becoming the primary mode of business and trade around the world – ASEAN included.  Read more 

    UN Chief to Address WTO General Council next week

    Business Standard: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is to make a historic address to the General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) next week, the UN said here on Friday. Read more 

    Abe vows to seek WTO reforms at G20 Osaka summit

    NHK: Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he will raise the issue of reforming the World Trade Organization at the Group of 20 nations summit in Osaka in June. Read more 

    EU-Brazil trade should be more sustainable, 600 scientists say

    Euractiv: In an open letter, 600 European scientists and 300 indigenous groups are calling for the EU to insist on the respect for environmental and human rights standards in its current trade negotiations with Brazil. EURACTIV Germany reports. Read more 

    EU vows to respond to US sanctions to protect companies in Cuba

    Euractiv: The European Union is ready to counter potential US sanctions against European companies in Cuba, the bloc’s top diplomat said on Thursday (2 May), following Washington’s reactivation of parts of the legislation that would allow US citizens to file lawsuits against investors in the island. Read more 

    Ecommerce on agenda at WTO Delhi meet

    Economic Times: E-commerce negotiations at the multilateral level will be a key area of talks at the informal World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial meeting which will take place in Delhi later this month. Read more 

    Pence: tariffs part of enforcement in a US-China trade deal

    Yahoo News: The removal of tough US tariffs on Chinese goods will be part of enforcing any new trade deal between Beijing and Washington, US Vice President Mike Pence said Friday. Read more 

    EU releases proposal on new WTO rules for electronic commerce

    EU: The EU has today made public its text proposal on future rules and obligations on e-commerce as part of WTO negotiations on e-commerce endorsed by Ministers in the margins of the Davos World Economic Forum in January 2019. The release of the text proposal is part of the EU’s commitment to transparency and inclusiveness in the development of its trade policy. Read more 

    Trump Gave the Japanese Prime Minister a Break on Trade, For Now

    TIME: President Donald Trump did Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a favor last week, delaying the start of negotiations on a tricky trade decision, potentially pushing it past that country’s elections in July, three officials briefed on the talks tell TIME. Read more 

    Mexico will not accept more labor enforcement in new NAFTA, top official says

    Politico: A top Mexican official delivered an ultimatum to Democrats on Friday, saying the country will not accept a stronger labor enforcement mechanism in the new North American trade pact and will not support reopening the deal to further negotiation. Read more 

    US boosts exports to Ghana with new framework agreement

    Global Trade Review: The export credit agencies (ECA) of the US and Ghana have signed a US$300mn agreement to support the procurement of US goods and services by Ghanaian SMEs.  Read more 

    79-Nation ACP Group Must Guard Against Lack of Unity

    IndepthNews: The prospect of Brexit, the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, continues to loom large over the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries. If a no-deal Brexit happens in October, this could mean severe consequences for the ACP. Read more 

    Africa Continental Free Trade Area to enter into force in July

    CGTN: The African Continental Free Trade Area will officially enter into force during the next Extra-Ordinary Heads of State and Government summit slated for 7th July 2019 in Niamey, Niger. Read more 

    Mexican Congress Passes Labor Law Tied to USMCA Trade Agreement

    Bloomberg: Mexico’s Senate approved an overhaul to the country’s labor code, a move that U.S. House Democrats made a pre-condition for debating a successor to the Nafta trade deal. Read more 

    ‘Productive’ end to latest round of US-China trade talks

    South China Morning Post: The latest round of trade negotiations between China and the United States concluded on Wednesday, with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin describing the talks as productive. Read more 

    What’s at Stake and at Risk in the U.S.-Japan Trade Talks

    Fortune: More than two years after U.S. President Donald Trump walked away from a regional Asia-Pacific trade agreement, the U.S. and Japan — the world’s largest and third-largest economies — are negotiating a deal of their own. Both sides insist they want a “win-win” outcome, but as evidenced by the Trump administration’s tariff battles with China and the European Union, there’s also potential for serious economic damage if things go bad. Read more 

    Canadian and Japanese leaders tout benefits of Pacific trade deal that Trump abandoned

    Reuters: The leaders of Canada and Japan on Sunday touted the benefits of a Pacific trade deal that U.S. President Donald Trump walked away from and said the pact should serve as a model for future agreements. Read more 

    EU belittles U.S. claims as ‘frankly childish’ at WTO Airbus hearing

    Reuters: A European Union trade lawyer fired withering put-downs at U.S. claims for damages due to subsidies for European planemaker Airbus in a recording of a dispute hearing made available by the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday. Read more

    Free trade and WTO face tests on many fronts

    Asia Times: In the era of Trump, tariff wars and Brexit, a widely-overlooked ruling early this month at the World Trade Organization looks set to place that organization under US threat, at a time when the world is receding ever further into an era of managed trade. Read more 

    EU court backs use of trade tribunals to protect foreign investors

    Reuters: The European Union won backing from the bloc’s top court on Tuesday for its system to protect foreign companies, which proponents say is essential for future trade agreements but critics say unfairly favors multinationals. Read more 

    New NAFTA’s sunset clause is a ticking time bomb

    The Hill: The United States, Mexico and Canada just finished renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but the future of the new NAFTA remains uncertain. Read more 

    WTO NEWS

    DG Azevêdo announces new fund to help LDCs participate in fisheries subsidies talks

    At a meeting of the full WTO membership on 3 May, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo announced that a new WTO trust fund has been established to support least developed countries to take part in negotiations on fisheries subsidies over the coming months, ahead of the end-of-year deadline for this work agreed by members. Read more

    Aid for Trade Global Review 2019 registration now open

    Registration is now open for the Aid for Trade Global Review 2019, to be held from 3 to 5 July under the theme “Supporting Economic Diversification and Empowerment” at the WTO’s headquarters in Geneva. The Global Review will discuss how Aid for Trade supports economic diversification and empowerment, with a focus on eliminating extreme poverty, particularly through the effective participation of micro, small and medium enterprises, women and youth. Read more

    10 years of WTO monitoring — enhancing trade policy transparency and predictability

    Following the outbreak of the 2008 global financial crisis, WTO members tasked the WTO Secretariat with the mission to prepare regular updates on the latest trends in the implementation of new trade and trade-related measures and on important developments in trade policy-making. Launched in early 2009, the trade monitoring exercise successfully continues to this day, having delivered 23 WTO-wide and 20 G20 trade monitoring reports over the past decade. Read more 

    WTO opens online registration for 2019 Public Forum

    Online registration for the 2019 Public Forum is now open. The main theme of this year’s event, to be held at the WTO’s headquarters from 8 to 11 October, is “Trading Forward: Adapting to a Changing World”. Registration closes on 16 September 2019. Read more 

    Azevêdo: E-commerce moratorium has long been a feature of the multilateral trading system

    Addressing a workshop on the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions on 29 April, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said the digital economy and the e-commerce moratorium have been an important focus of conversations for many WTO members, particularly since the Buenos Aires Ministerial Conference in 2017.  Read more 

    Members adopt national security ruling on Russian Federation’s transit restrictions

    The Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on 26 April formally adopted a panel ruling clarifying the use of national security exceptions to WTO rules as invoked in the trade dispute between the Russian Federation and Ukraine over transit restrictions. 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.