Summary of "Report of Ad-Hoc Expert Group Meeting to consider recent Implementation Exercises of the General Data Dissemination System of the IMF

Trade, environment and development: implications for Caribbean countries

Introduction Trade and development issues have been the focus of economists, policy makers and international organizations for decades. However, environmental concerns have only come to the fore within the last couple of decades largely as a result of the work of scientists on, for example, climate change and loss in biodiversity as well as the lobbying activities of environmental groups, such as Greenpeace. The linking of environment to trade only gained international prominence since the negotiations for the Canada-United States Free Trade Area in the 1980s. However, although enviro…

Trade and investment flows between the Caribbean and the rest of the hemisphere in the context of the FTAA

Introduction The evolution of trade and investment flows between the Caribbean and the rest of the western hemisphere has been influenced by historical incorporation into the world economy and changes over time. The most important historical factor was the incorporation of the region into the international capitalist economy as producers and exporters of primary products and importers of technology, manufactured goods and finance. This pattern of specialisation and exchange led to exports of primary goods such as sugar,bananas and minerals (oil and bauxite);. Investment flows followed trade an…

Recent developments in intra-CDCC trade

This document analyses trade among countries of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC);; trade among CARICOM countries; intra OECS trade and trade between the OECS as a group and the rest of CARICOM. The evolution of trade policy and its impact on countries of the CDCC is also explored. The period reviewed is the decade of the 1990s.…

Special and differential treatment in the FTAA

The need to devise an appropriate mechanism for the meaningful participation of smaller economies in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA); has been recognized since the beginning of the process of integration in the Americas and was articulated in the Plan of Action and Declaration of the Summit of the Americas, held in Miami in December 1995 (1); . Since then, the San Jose Declaration (2); reiterated the commitment of the countries of the hemisphere to ensure the full participation of the smaller economies in the FTAA and increase their level of development. The declaration states that …

Industrialization, new technologies and competitiveness in the Caribbean

The present global economic climate and new trading regimes demand that Caribbean countries become more competitive in all their activities and not just in the manufacturing or agricultural sectors, the main focus of most discussions on trade liberalization. On the surface, there seem to be few areas in which small States with limited resources can become competitive, except in tourism, that does not in itself require technological developments by the States themselves. The use of appropriate technologies and policies to properly manage the resource is not always seen as vital to the continued…

Recent trade performance of Caribbean countries

Executive Summary The paper analyzes the evolution of trade patterns of the countries comprising the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC); with the following integration groupings: Andean Community, the Central American Common Market (CACM);, the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR);, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); and the European Union (EU); in the 1990s. CDCC trade with the Andean Community was relatively small compared to that with Europe or NAFTA. Non-CARICOM CDCC member countries were dominant in the Andean market with the average value of their expo…

Trade policy in CARICOM: overview of the main trade policy measures

Executive Summary This paper reviews trade policy regimes in CARICOM countries during the 1980s and 1990s. CARICOM trade policy regimes have undergone substantial changes in the 1990s reflecting the desire of the grouP's member countries to move away from inwardlooking to more outward-oriented growth and development. The growing recognition of the importance of export promotion policies led to the adoption of a programme for the Harmonization of Fiscal Incentives to Industry in 1993. All the CARICOM countries have introduced a series of export promotion measures, including fiscal incentiv…

Trade and the environment in the context of the World Trade Organization

Summary The Uruguay Round of trade talks sought to bring agriculture and textiles progressively under the ambit of international trade rules and regulations. It also sought to extend the coverage of international trade rules to trade in services, intellectual property rights and trade-related investment measures. The implementation of trade liberalization programmes around the world has resulted in increased competition and the consequent exposure of many previously protected domestic industries to foreign competition. The decrease in the use of the usual barriers to trade and investment, i…

Proposals for the liberalization of trade and investment in the Association of Caribbean States (ACS)

Summary Presents an overview of the status of trade liberalization in the countries of the ACS and concludes that most countries have implemented substantial trade and investment reforms which have resulted in more liberalized trading regimes and a more welcoming environment for foreign investment. Obstacles to trade and investment are examined and recommendations made in respect of the ACS Secretariat. , 19970324 , Len Ishmael , Publications 1997 Port of Spain …

Intra-ACS trade: an overview of CDCC trade with non-CDCC groupings

Factores que afectan a la participación de los países del Caribe en el Area de Libre Comercio de las Américas = Factors affecting the participation of Caribbean countries in the Free Trade Area of the Americas