The Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) and the United Kingdom (UK) have reaffirmed their commitment to fully implementing and ratifying the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed in 2021.
A communique issued after the inaugural meeting of the CARIFORUM-UK Technical Sub-Committee on Development Cooperation (TSCDC) from 30–31 January in Georgetown, Guyana, notes that officials from both sides discussed areas of mutual interest, such as leveraging market access offers, tariff commitments, enhancing trade in goods and services, and initiating regular tourism services dialogue.
The meeting, held at the Caricom Secretariat Headquarters, also reviewed recent UK trade policy developments affecting the Agreement, the communique states.
Recognising the EPA’s importance to their economic and development partnership, the parties discussed high-priority market access challenges as well as what needs to be done to ensure the objectives of the agreement can be achieved.
In noting the EPA’s potential to increase trade and investment, it was agreed that they would prioritise actions to overcome the obstacles hindering CARIFORUM States from effectively entering the UK market. The parties also addressed the UK’s market access concerns in CARIFORUM States, according to the Communique.
CARIFORUM and UK officials examined the EPA’s role as a development-focused Agreement, with the UK reaffirming its commitment to financial assistance, aligned with CARIFORUM’s priorities.
They also highlighted the significant milestones since the agreement’s provisional application in 2021. These include operationalisation of Joint Institutions such as the Joint CARIFORUM-UK Council, the Special Committee on Services, and the Technical Sub-Committee on Development Cooperation.
The meeting, chaired by the United Kingdom, was attended by representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, The Bahamas, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK, and Northern Ireland. Haiti was represented at the meeting as an observer.
COMMUNIQUE
The Second Meeting of the CARIFORUM–United Kingdom Trade and Development Committee took place in Georgetown, Guyana on 31 January 2025. The meeting, chaired by the United Kingdom, was attended by representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, The Bahamas, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK, and Northern Ireland. Haiti was represented at the meeting as an observer.
The United Kingdom and the CARIFORUM States reaffirmed their commitment to the full implementation of the EPA and to its ratification. They observed that the agreement continues to be an important component of their economic and development partnership. The 2 sides discussed several matters of joint interest, including capitalising on the market access offers, implementation of the EPA commitments, including the tariff commitments, enhancing trade in goods and services between CARIFORUM and the United Kingdom and modalities for a regular dialogue on tourism services. Recent trade policy developments in the United Kingdom which have a bearing on the agreement were also examined.
The parties, recalling the EPA’s potential to stimulate increased trade and investment flows between the 2 sides, discussed high-priority market access challenges and what needs to be done to ensure that the objectives of the agreement can be achieved. In particular, note was taken of impediments identified by the CARIFORUM States, which present challenges for the States being able to convert market access under the agreement into effective market presence in the United Kingdom and matters of concern raised by the United Kingdom which impact its market access interests in the CARIFORUM States. The parties undertook to prioritise agreed actions aimed at addressing challenges.
The United Kingdom and the CARIFORUM States recalled that the EPA is a development-focussed agreement and recalled the discussions from the Technical Sub Committee on Development Cooperation on 30 January 2025. The United Kingdom reaffirmed its EPA commitment to providing financial assistance, noting the breadth and diversity of support in the region, and will take into consideration the identified priorities of the CARIFORUM States to support the CARIFORUM States’ implementation of the agreement.
The United Kingdom and the CARIFORUM States noted with satisfaction that since the parties began to provisionally apply the agreement in 2021, significant milestones have been achieved with respect to the operationalisation of other joint institutions, notably the Joint CARIFORUM-UK Council (Joint Council), the Special Committee on Services and the Technical Sub-Committee on Development Cooperation. The 2 sides discussed the operationalisation and relative prioritisation of other institutions.
The United Kingdom and the CARIFORUM States took note of the expectations for the first 5-year Review of the EPA. Next steps on this review will continue at a technical level. The United Kingdom and the CARIFORUM States agreed to hold meetings of other joint institutions on mutually agreed dates.
Caricom
