A significant diplomatic and economic debate has emerged in Trinidad and Tobago regarding the country’s relationship with the Caribbean Community (Caricom). The Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Industry (JCC) has issued a strong warning that the Caricom market remains indispensable for TT’s economic stability and diversification efforts.
JCC President Fazir Khan emphasized in a December 23 media release that Trinidad and Tobago must reject any notion of prospering without Caricom’s support. This statement came in response to recent criticisms from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who characterized Caricom as fractured and an ‘unreliable partner’ while indicating TT’s pursuit of partnerships beyond the region.
The Prime Minister had previously asserted that Caricom members had supported Venezuela against the United States in the latter’s anti-drug trafficking initiatives, specifically mentioning that Antiguans were ‘bad-mouthing’ the US, resulting in additional visa restrictions for that country.
In a counter-argument, Gaston Browne responded via Facebook on December 21, challenging the characterization of Caricom as unreliable. He highlighted that Caricom represents TT’s second-largest export market after the United States, with substantial economic benefits. ‘In 2024 alone,’ Browne noted, ‘TT earned more than US $1.1 billion in foreign exchange from trade with Caricom, comprising approximately US $784.7 million in domestic exports and US $501.3 million in re-exports to Caricom states.’
Khan supported this perspective, indicating that Caricom accounts for roughly ten percent of all global exports from Trinidad and Tobago and an even more significant portion of non-energy exports. Excluding petroleum and petroleum products, exports to Caricom reached over US$560 million in a recent benchmark year, representing approximately one quarter of all intra-regional exports—the largest share held by any member state.
For the domestic construction industry, this regional demand translates into critical employment opportunities for technicians, engineers, contractors, and professional consultants who would otherwise face limitations within the local market. Khan warned that any disruption to this relationship could result in hundreds of millions of US dollars in potential annual export losses, particularly affecting non-energy sectors that are still establishing themselves in extra-regional markets.
When questioned on December 22 about whether withdrawal from Caricom was under consideration by herself or the Cabinet, Persad-Bissessar stated, ‘Withdrawal from Caricom has not been discussed by Cabinet.’ She additionally expressed that she was not concerned about any economic impact resulting from the current Caricom divide.