Mighty Sector, Marginal Exports: Reflections on the SBA MSME Report 2026
Alicia Nicholls$*Despite accounting for 98% of businesses in Barbados, fewer than one in ten Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) export. This striking finding was reported in the Small Business Association (SBA)’s newly released ‘National Survey of the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise Sector 2026’. It underscores a persistent challenge within our import-dependent economy: how can we get more of our firms exporting. In this SRC Trading Thoughts, I reflect on some of the report’s findings from a trade policy perspective.