Regional Relations
From The Report: Trinidad & Tobago 2018
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Trinidad and Tobago has played a crucial role in the integration of the Caribbean, particularly among the Anglophone countries of the region, for decades now. A promoter of the Treaty of Chaguaramas in 1973, the first step towards deeper regional integration after the mixed fortunes of the establishment of the short-lived West Indies Federation between 1958 and 1962, T&T subsequently became a founding member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Between 1998 and 2013 T&T’s share of total intra-CARICOM exports rose from 37% to 70%, with Jamaica being the principal importer of T&T exports over this period. Alongside T&T, the international organisation currently has 14 full members, five associate members and eight observers. This chapter contains an interview with William Warren Smith, President, Caribbean Development Bank.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Better together: Moves are made to advance regional integration, including single market access
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Trinidad and Tobago has played a crucial role in the integration of the Caribbean, particularly among the anglophone countries of the region, for decades now. A promoter of the Treaty of Chaguaramas in 1973, the first step towards deeper regional integration after the mixed fortunes of the establishment of the short-lived West Indies Federation between 1958 and 1962, T&T subsequently became a founding member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Alongside T&T, the international organisation…

Interview

Inclusive integration: William Warren Smith, President, Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), on the need for further collaboration and integration
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Interview:William Warren Smith How could economic and trade integration be better promoted in the region? WILLIAM WARREN SMITH: Although the benefits of regional integration are apparent in CARICOM, they are not uniformly distributed across the entire region. In order to secure greater uniformity in the distribution of benefits, we have to strengthen our regional institutional architecture. This involves coordinating and improving policy frameworks that support competitiveness at the national…

Analysis

Reasons for optimism: A number of regional economies are demonstrating positive indications of growth, despite challenges remaining
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Many of CARICOM’s economies are characterised by large natural resource bases, with a number of important recent oil and gas discoveries made of late. These countries do, however, also continue to face several parallel challenges including high levels of public debt. Suriname Formerly known as Dutch Guiana, the South American country of Suriname has a population of fewer than 600,000 people, but GDP is forecast to increase by 1.1% in 2018 following three years of recession, according…