London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Elizabeth Morgan | CARICOM heads: Addressing trade and economic issues

Elizabeth Morgan | CARICOM heads: Addressing trade and economic issues

CARICOM Heads of Government will be concluding their Intersessional Meeting in Barbados today. This meeting is chaired by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who has responsibility for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) in the quasi-Cabinet.

Articles leading up to this meeting give the impression that the heads will primarily focus on political foreign policy issues in their relations with the USA, Canada, Britain, China, including candidates for positions at the Organization of American States (OAS), the United Nations Security Council, and the Commonwealth.

The Africa relationship is also linked to candidatures, as Kenya, like Canada, is seeking a seat on the Security Council. Votes have value. Regrettably, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had to cancel his visit.

The heads will indeed be addressing economic issues, including tax-haven blacklisting and de-risking by correspondent banks.

Referring to my article on January 9 about the CARICOM 2020 foreign trade-policy agenda, the heads, in addition, should be addressing important trade-policy issues. After all, improving trade and investment should be a high priority.

They should be discussing trade with the USA; extension of the Caribbean Trade Partnership Act (CBPTA), which expires in September; the ACP/EU post-Cotonou negotiations as the lead negotiators met on Friday, February 14; the future of trade with Britain, including its relationship with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group and the Commonwealth; trade with the European Union (EU), including the review of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA); and the situation at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

I read in a CARICOM Today report that the Prime Ministerial Subcommittee on External Trade Negotiations, chaired by Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, will be presenting its report. This would indicate that the subcommittee had a rare meeting and considered these trade policy issues.

In my opinion, this subcommittee would benefit from a name change. It should be called the Subcommittee on External Trade Relations. I believe that CARICOM heads ought to be addressing these trade-policy issues on a regular basis, even if only receiving a status report for discussion. They should be considering an external trade strategy for the region.


TRADE AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

The critical trade and economic integration issue, which the heads will be considering, is the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). At their 40th Meeting in July 2019, the heads expressed concern about the slow pace and low level of implementation, and noted that some member states did not display a sense of urgency, though recognising capacity constraints.

At this meeting, related to CSME, heads also received an interim report from the re-established Commission on the Economy, chaired by Professor Avinash Persaud, special envoy to PM Mottley on investment and financial services.

This commission, first established in 2013, is to recommend measures for achieving sustainable development. Prime Minister Mottley, demonstrating her commitment to CSME progress, held several meetings/consultations, including a town hall session in November 2019.

At this Intersessional Meeting, the heads will receive a further update on CSME implementation. I am not optimistic that much more progress has been made. I still see no evidence that the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation is operational.

I also did not find that the advisory opinion requested by the CARICOM Secretariat from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has been delivered. This advisory opinion has implications for CSME implementation. In October 2019, when the court held hearings, it was reported that the opinion would be provided within a reasonable period of time.

The Commission on the Economy should now be unveiling its report and recommendations.

The heads also ought to be considering the implications for the region of having members with significant oil deposits, Guyana, Suriname and Grenada.

St Lucia’s Prime Minister, Allen Chastanet, in his statement when demitting office as CARICOM chair in December 2019, declared that the region’s future was bright. PM Mottley, on assuming the CARICOM chair in January, thinking of Caribbean resilience, urged the region to continue dreaming, while being determined to deliver.

In spite of this optimism, if, collectively, the region still cannot effectively address its trade and economic challenges to realise its potential, the future may not be as bright, even with oil deposits.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×