WTO BANANA RULING DEVASTATING BLOW TO VULNERABLE CARIBBEAN ECONOMIES Region’s Banana-Producing Countries Risk being Squeezed out of Market CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Caribbean banana exporting countries have reacted with alarm to a ruling handed down Monday (August 1) by World Trade Organization (WTO...

INTERIM WTO AGREEMENT IN DOUBT, SAYS BERNAL CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – “It is doubtful that agreement on “First Approximations” can be reached by the end of July,” said Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal, ...

NEW GLOBAL REALITIES DEMAND NEW CARICOM TRADE POLICY GROS-ISLET, SAINT LUCIA – While Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Countries are committed to and are active participants in international trade negotiations, some uncertainty has emerged amongst Member States concerning the benefits to be derive...

SURINAMESE DIPLOMAT ELECTED AS NEXT OAS ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal welcomed the election Tuesday evening (June 7) - on the occasion of the XXXV Meeting of the General...

CARICOM REAFFIRMS INTEREST IN FTAA CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – “CARICOM Countries are prepared for the possible resumption of Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations.” This according to the Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM), Ambassador...

CARICOM AND CANADIAN TRADE OFFICIALS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WAY FORWARD IN TRADE TALKS CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS - “Both sides felt that the meeting was constructive. Today’s encounter has provided impetus for forward momentum in a process that is the precursor to the commencement of formal nego...

CHILE RALLIES BEHIND PORT-OF-SPAIN, FRONT-RUNNER IN SECRETARIAT RACE CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS - Port-of-Spain has formally secured the backing of Chile, in connection with CARICOM’s bid for the Permanent Secretariat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Chile is the latest country to...

A Special Session of the ‘CARICOM Working Group on Services Negotiations’ was convened in Barbados, November 16 to 18. Mr. Ramesh Chaitoo, Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Services Trade Specialist, characterized the Special Session as an “important opportunity to assess the status of ...

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – A joint WTO/IDB-INTAL 'Regional Workshop on Government Procurement for Caribbean Countries' was held in Trinidad and Tobago, October 18 to 20. The workshop was opened by Hon. Conrad Enhill, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Government of the Republ...