There have been strong calls for the private sector in the Caribbean to become more actively engaged in lobbying and other efforts to enhance the region’s relations with the United States not withstanding President Donald Trump’s announced America first policy. The calls came during a session Friday morning at the 41st annual Conference on the Caribbean and Latin America which focused on the Outlook and Opportunities for US/Regional Cooperation.
The calls came from both government and private sector officials who shared the view that the US remains the major trading partner with the Caribbean region and enjoys a significant trade surplus, which in the case of one CARICOM member state, Barbados, stood at half a billion US dollars in 2015.
Ambassador Hart of Barbados , Ambassador Gail Mathurin, Director General of the Caribbean Trade Negotiations Office in Barbados and Nirad Tiwarie of the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago.
Participants in the discussion agreed that there should be more regional private sector engagement in the efforts to take advantage of the provisions of the new US Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act which was signed into law last December by then President Barack Obama. The Act mandates the United States State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to consult with stakeholders in the region and the diaspora with a view to identifying priorities and programs in several areas including sustainable development, trade, investment, security, health and education, among others.
Barbados Ambassador to the United States Selwin Hart, one of the lead speakers at the session debunked suggestions that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was to blame for the lack of action within the region which would inspire the private sector to be more engaged and proactive in lobbying for better relations, including trade arrangements with other countries and regions of the world.