Trade with the European Union (EU) following the new Cotonou Agreement presents a unique challenge for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) according to the Caribbean Trade and Investment Report, 2000 just released by the Economic and Intelligence and Planning Unit of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat. However, the Report cautions that the package also poses an imminent threat to the commodity producers of the Region.
Trade
Trade with the European Union (EU) following the new Cotonou Agreement presents a unique challenge for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) according to the Caribbean Trade and Investment Report, 2000 just released by the Economic and Intelligence and Planning Unit of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat. However, the Report cautions that the package also poses an imminent threat to the commodity producers of the Region.
In this era of increasing trade liberalisation the Caribbean is being increasingly regarded as an area of great significance . This point was underscored by the Region's Chief Negotiator, Sir Shridat Ramphal. His comments came as he opened the Second Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on the Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) on 9 September 1999 at the Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana.
The Fifth Meeting of the Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) Council For Trade and Economic Development (COTED) begins in Georgetown, Guyana on Thursday.
Cuba's Minister of Foreign Trade, the Hon. Ricardo Cabrisas will lead his country's delegation of public and private sector officials to the Caribbean-Cuba Trade and Investment Symposium to be held in Guyana on November 20-21.
Cuba will be the focus of four days of activity in Guyana beginning November 18.
The CARICOM/Cuba Joint Commission will hold its Fifth Meeting on November 18-19 and immediately following, Guyana will be host for a two-day Caribbean/Cuba Trade and Investment Symposium on November 20-21. The symposium is being held with the assistance of the CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA).
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed on August 22, 1998 between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic will establish a Free Trade Area composed of 14 million people when it comes into effect.
The FTA will come into effect either on January 1, 1999 or upon completion of a plan of action scheduled to be completed ninety days after the signing of the Agreement. Both parties will then take the necessary administrative and legal action to give effect to the Agreement.
CARICOM's Assistant Secretary-General, Mr. Byron Blake is hopeful that the Regional private sector will take full advantage of opportunities provided under Free Trade Agreements entered into between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and other countries, and groupings.
The Ninth meeting of the CARICOM/Canada Joint Trade and Economic Committee (JTEC) begins in Georgetown, Guyana on Thursday 19 February, 1998.
This meeting takes place against the backdrop of the upcoming second Summit of the Americas scheduled for Santiago, Chile in April and the recent expansion of Caribbean Community/Canadian Technical Cooperation Agreement (CARIBCAN), the one way duty free trade arrangement, which allows CARICOM products to enter Canadian markets. Methanol and lubricating oils were added to the list of products under CARIBCAN.
A workshop on Economic Integration and Free Trade_ Challenges and Responses Chilean and CARICOM Perspective, a joint initiative of the University of the West Indies Latin American-Caribbean Centre (LACC) in Jamaica and the Government of Chile through its Agency for International Cooperation (AGCI), will be held at the Institute of International Relations on the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies, 4-6 February 1998.