CARICOM Ministers with responsibility for trade began a two-day meeting on Tuesday 14 May at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana.

Senator the Hon. Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry of Trinidad and Tobago, is the Chair the 58th Regular Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED).

At the opening session, Minister Gopee-Scoon highlighted the matters on the Ministers’ agenda, including the movement of Community nationals, the status of the CARICOM Competition Commission, a mergers and acquisitions policy, trade in goods, and the review of the Common External Tariff (CET) and Rules of Origin (ROO). The Ministers will also hold discussions on CARICOM Regional Standards.

On the external economic and trade relations front, the Ministers will receive updates on the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and negotiations on the expansion of preferential market access under the CARICOM-Colombia Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement. Talks will also be held on the CARICOM- United States Trade Relations.

In welcoming the delegates to the meeting, Dr. Carla Barnett, CARICOM Secretary-General, underscored the “vitally important mandate” of COTED. She noted that the meeting will consider and decide on plans and programmes that will have a significant impact on trade and business performance throughout the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). She expressed the hope that longstanding issues that are on the agenda will be brought to finality.

The Meeting will end on Wednesday 15 May.