Kai-Ann D. Skeete | 20 years later… has the CARICOM Single Market really grown?

January 2006 marked the official start of the CARICOM Single Market (CSM) after its launch in Kingston, Jamaica. Then, we were hopeful that the Caribbean would see the benefits of the free movement of goods, labour, capital and services across the region.

Late 2025 brought a welcomed development when Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines became the four member states to implement free movement.

However, 20 years later, there has been no remarkable growth of intra-regional trade. The cause of this could be as a result of the endless barriers, boundaries and borders that prevent genuine movement. There’s a popular saying in the world of international trade that goes “Countries do not trade, but people do”. Simple but profound, it catalyses us to pause and think about what exactly is my role in increasing intra-regional trade?

Your role is simple…you have the power of choice, and you have the power of demand as the consumer.

As an introduction to Caribbean Integration and Intra-regional trade, I challenge my students to pick a Caribbean country that is not their own, research ten manufactured products and read the labels, especially the ingredients. As simple as this exercise is, it is to introduce my students to the top manufactured goods in a country, as well as the potential for exports within the region.

It warmed my heart when the announcement was made that Guyana Shop will be exporting watermelons to Barbados. Now, after 20 years of the launch of the CSM, regional goods are moving more frequently.

A trip to Georgetown invariably leads to the vibrant Bourda Public Market for fruits in season and to the Guyana Shop, nestled on the corner of Alexander and Robb Street. The Guyana Shop is home to hundreds of indigenous products that should be in the homes of all Caribbean citizens.

My favourite products range from ready-to-eat Ashdel’s Beef Pepperpot [in a box] to Basdeo’s Salted Fish Trout to the innovative Ventriz Cheddar Cheese Plantain Chips. The annual National Agricultural Exhibition (Agrofest) activities in Barbados offer an opportunity to engage with the businesses about their products, packaging and entrepreneurial journey as they seek to export to the Barbadian market.

Now with intimate knowledge of the products, I can request them by name and quantity to place an order. Let’s be honest, it is only when we see the products and decide to purchase and try them out, do we see and understand that we have viable alternatives to the extra-regionally imported salt fish and snacks, to name a few.

Generally, Caribbean products rely on their current citizens and the diaspora to propel their market penetration, but I would argue that we need to stop the slide of Caribbean trade and start to have intimate conversations about the products and call them by name. We need to create or identify clear-cut strategies to penetrate regional markets by going directly to consumers with products and marketing campaigns.

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

There is an elephant in the room when it comes to embracing regional products within CARICOM. New products enter the region from external markets, and we seemingly embrace them with open arms. Yet, when it comes to products from within the region, the bar is raised considerably. It comes across as though extra-regional products are considered superior to our regional products. For example, last year, we had a situation where reconstituted milk from Guyana faced extreme scrutiny in two CARICOM markets. One wonders whether member states apply the same level of scrutiny to goods from extra-regional markets.

In light of the uncertainty in global trade, especially in the US market, the Caribbean needs to hunker down and strategically increase its internal trade and prioritise South-South trade as the way forward.

But increasing intra-regional trade is not the only solution; what we need are major improvements in our infrastructure, scheduled and reliable trading routes, harmonised trade policies and investment in creating regional supply chains for major Caribbean industries offering niche products. It is also essential that our goods conform to internationally recognised standards to allow for market access.

But for Caribbean nationals to know the products, we need to be moving to discover them ourselves. Don’t get me started on the potential of culinary and community tourism in the islands of Grenada, Trinidad, Jamaica or St. Lucia. But we need major logistical improvements to transport persons, whether by air or by sea.

It is for this reason that the momentum of free movement cannot stop at four member states. Full freedom of movement across all CARICOM member states is what will truly open the door to greater collaboration, investment, trade and people-to-people connections throughout the region.

- Dr. Kai-Ann Skeete is committed to solving regional problems as the Trade Policy Research Fellow of the Shridath Ramphal Centre. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com