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...

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The WTO General Council last week approved a Framework which sets out the parameters for continued DDA negotiations. WTO Members negotiated intensively for two weeks prior to culminating in a marathon session which began at 5pm on Friday July 30, and ended almost 24 h...

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – A ‘CARICOM Meeting on Smaller Economies Issues in the FTAA & Preparatory Meeting for the CARICOM Sub-regional Round Table’ was held in Barbados, June 7 to 8. The Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) provided an update to the meeting on the st...

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The 'CARICOM Exploratory Group on CARICOM-Canada Trade Negotiations' met in Barbados, May 28. The consultation was convened with a view to taking stock of deliberations between CARICOM and Canada on the scope and elements of negotiations for a CARICOM-Canada enhanced trade ...

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM), Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal, called for an enhancement of the economic partnership between CARICOM and the United States, “based on interdependence and mutuality of benefits”. He...