20 YEARS LATER… HAS THE CARICOM SINGLE MARKET REALLY GROWN?
Kai-Ann D. Skeete, PhD.$*January 2006 marked the official start of the CARICOM Single Market 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?