Caribbean Manufacturers Encouraged To Develop Intra-Regional Markets

• President of the Caribbean Manufacturers Association (CMA), John Robin, is urging increased intra-regional trade to combat the global environment which is affecting the regional manufacturing sector.
• The president noted that “as it is right now in the Caribbean what we are seeking to do is promote OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States) and intra-CARICOM trade”
• According to the President, this would mean “more trading, more selling of our goods into our islands than into North America and Europe where the conditions are more stringent and where we can learn in our local jurisdiction, and after we have learned, we can put in place resources then we can move into the more complex economies.”
• Robin also noted that there are major challenges as it relates to supply chain logistics. He explained that “a lot of the shipping has become very expensive, and the cost has gone right up every time you import an item, it is much more expensive so as a result, you have to adjust your costs.”
• Nevertheless, the CMA intends to work together, not as Dominica, but as OECS and as CARICOM to bring a harmonized approach in terms of procurements and how to purchase in bulk, to bring cost-reduction benefits to manufacturers.

(Source: Caribbean News Weekly)