Caribbean countries meet on maximising EPA benefits

Trade experts from across the Caribbean will gather in Barbados this week to identify opportunities to maximise the benefits of the recently signed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) which governs future trade with European Union (EU) countries.



The two-day CARIFORUM-European Union Business Forum, which begins today, is expected to place heavy focus on identifying business opportunities for trade with European markets and attracting foreign direct investment from Europe to the Caribbean.



The event, hosted by the Caribbean Export Development Agency in collaboration with the Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce and the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, will also seek to build private sector capacity in the Caribbean by facilitating dialogue between entrepreneurs and investors.



The meeting comes on the heels of a recent trade mission to Europe, which was also facilitated by the three organisations under the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement.