Port of Spain, TRINIDAD and TOBAGO.   The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the World Trade Center Miami (WTCM) and Canning House agreeing on a framework to sustain trade and investment promotion efforts in the Caribbean.

The official signing took place at the landmark Caribbean Investment Forum, which was held 8-11 November 2022 in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago.

Addressing the media Deputy Executive Director of Caribbean Export, Mr. Leo Naut noted “the new business paradigm calls for increased partnerships. This means that CARIFORUM businesses, workers, and producers will need to collaborate and work smarter to successfully compete globally and enter new markets for trade and the attraction of investment.  Caribbean Export, alongside our partners, stand as a united front to support and enable business growth, expansion, and collaboration. In this new age of partnership, we are happy to onboard two new partners to bring forth prosperity and development to the Caribbean region”.

Canning House based in London, UK has the objective of building understanding and relationships between the UK, Latin America and Iberia.  In his remarks Juan Teran Jurado, Corporate Affairs Manager at Canning House, expressed his gratitude at being part of the Caribbean Investment Forum and for the opportunity to “deepen the economic trade and investment relationships between the UK and Latin America”.  Canning House is a global forum for thought-leadership and pragmatic debate on the region’s political, economic, social, health and environmental trends and issues – and their implications for business risks and opportunities.

Florida, for many reasons, logistically and with a large Caribbean diaspora, is an important gateway for Caribbean investment and trade and home to the WTCM.

Ivan Barrios, President of the World Trade Center Miami, shared that the Caribbean was very important to the South Florida community and that the signing of the MOU was timely given a new series of seminars being planned for the Caribbean titled “How to export your products to the United States using Miami as a platform”.

The World Trade Center Miami is a powerful driver for business growth and economic prosperity of Florida and as a non-profit stimulates trade and investment opportunities for commercial property developers, economic development agencies, and international businesses looking to connect globally and prosper locally.

The two MOUs come after more than two years of uncertainty and tepid business activity, and signals that the Caribbean is open for business.   

Caribbean Export, supported by the European Union, as the regional investment and trade promotion agency, whose mandate, is to help build a resilient Caribbean, views support and partnerships vital to sustain and create business opportunities particularly when the world and small states are confronted with immense economic challenges.

The Caribbean Investment Forum placed strategic focus on sectors such as the digital economy, renewable energy, agriculture technology (AgTech) and logistics and transportation; all sectors deemed critical for the sustainable development of our economies.

The Caribbean Investment Forum was hosted by the Caribbean Export Development Agency, the European Union, The CARICOM Secretariat, Ministry of Trade and Industry Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Development Bank.