Mighty Sector, Marginal Exports: Reflections on the SBA MSME Report 2026
Alicia Nicholls$*Despite accounting for 98% of businesses in Barbados, fewer than one in ten Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) export. This striking finding was reported in the Small Business Association (SBA)’s newly released ‘National Survey of the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise Sector 2026’. It underscores a persistent challenge within our import-dependent economy: how can we get more of our firms exporting. In this SRC Trading Thoughts, I reflect on some of the report’s findings from a trade policy perspective.
Global Green Shipping Plan Left Floating
Vanessa Mason$*The finalisation of the United Nations’ (U.N.) International Maritime Organization (IMO) Net-zero Framework (NZF) is said to hold great promise for climate action in the form of green shipping, but there is great uncertainty surrounding its future. What was supposed to be a step towards establishing a global legally binding framework to…
Caribbean Sea: Zone of Peace and Prosperity
Alicia Nicholls$*Lapping against the shores of several sovereign countries and dependent territories, the Caribbean Sea is our patrimony. Many of us learnt how to swim or were even baptized in its serene and azure waters. It sustains us economically through fisheries, shipping, tourism, and many other ways. This is why news of United…
Virtual Signing Ceremony for the UNCTAD 15 Host Country Agreement with Barbados
The Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley and UNCTAD Secretary-General Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi signed an agreement for the hosting of UNCTAD 15 during a virtual signing ceremony on 5 August 2020. UNCTAD’s 15th quadrennial conference originally scheduled to take place in Barbados during 2020 is now set to take place in Barbados from 25 to 30 April 2021.
My experience in the MITP Geneva Study Tour
Ade O’NEAL$*Reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO), trade facilitation, and under-representation by Caribbean States at the WTO were some of the hot-button issues ventilated over the course of the two-week Study Tour in Geneva organized for students enrolled in the Masters in International Trade Policy (MITP) Programme at the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy & Services (SRC) of The University of the West Indies. During the Study Tour, which is a key component of the MITP Programme, students engaged with academics, ambassadors and other diplomats, agency heads and fellow students to gain a greater appreciation for all t…