SRC has released another analysis of the challenge to CARICOM of the new trade environment.
Its a good read, but the absence of any reference to the Canada-CARICOM trade and investment relationship is disappointing. As we have pointed out there are things that can be done, and that would be worth doing, between Canada and CARICOM to diversify trade and to buffer somewhat the new approach of the United States.
CARICOM Member states are navigating a complex multipolar crisis defined by shifting geopolitical alignments, increasing debt, escalating climate pressures, and accelerating biodiversity loss.
Together, these systemic challenges pose significant risks to the region’s trade competitiveness and market access opportunities, potentially undermining economic resilience and sustainable development.
Addressing these challenges requires coordinated policy responses that strengthen regional integration, preserve existing trade relations, diversify economic opportunities, and enhance adaptive capacity in the face of this global uncertainty.
Recent geopolitical realignments have reshaped CARICOM’s trade relations with key partners, altering market opportunities and exposing the region to new economic vulnerabilities. In response, the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government, at its 48th Regular Meeting, underscored the importance of safeguarding market access with established partners, strengthening intra-regional trade arrangements, and diversifying external trade relationships. These priorities were reaffirmed at the 49th Regular Meeting (6–8 July 2025), where the Conference specifically addressed the CARICOM–US Caribbean Basin Initiative and emphasized the need for sustained dialogue with the United States to preserve the bilateral trade relationship. Importantly, the Conference also agreed to pursue new market opportunities with non-traditional partners, with particular focus on the African Union, Brazil, and India…
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Matthew Wilson is the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations, World Trade Organization and other International Organizations in Geneva. He chairs the WTO MSMEs Working Group and currently coordinates the Africa, Caribbean, Pacific group in Geneva.
Brian Kelly Nyaga (Kelly) is a specialist in international trade law and policy, with experience in policy advisory and consultancy roles across the field. He holds an LLM in International Law from the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID) and is admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
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