U.S. Rechecks Which Caribbean Countries Keep Trade Perks
Published Date: 6/16/2025
Notice
Summary
The U.S. Trade Representative is checking how well Caribbean countries are doing with special trade benefits under the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) for 2025. They want your thoughts by July 16, 2025, to help decide if these countries should keep their benefits, which can affect trade and money flow. This review impacts countries like Jamaica, Barbados, and others who rely on these perks to boost their economies.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Eligibility based on specific mandatory and discretionary criteria
The review will assess each beneficiary against specified CBERA and CBTPA criteria. Mandatory CBERA criteria include items such as not being a Communist country, not nationalizing U.S. property without resolution, enforcing arbitral awards, respecting intellectual property and worker rights. CBTPA-specific criteria add items such as WTO commitments, stronger intellectual property protection, internationally recognized worker rights (including prohibitions on forced labor and child labor), counter-narcotics certification, anti-corruption steps, and transparent government procurement procedures.
Listed countries under CBI subject to 2025 review
The notice identifies beneficiary countries and territories and says their performance under CBERA and CBTPA will be reviewed for the 2025 report. For example, Barbados, Belize, Curaçao, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago receive benefits under both CBERA and CBTPA; Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines receive benefits only under CBERA.
Public comment window before CBI review
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative invites written comments on the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) and the performance of beneficiary countries. You must submit comments by 11:59 p.m. EDT on July 16, 2025 (use Docket Number USTR-2025-0014 on Regulations.gov), and submissions should not exceed 30 single-spaced pages.
Report to Congress will examine trade and investment effects
USTR will prepare a report to Congress (due on or before December 31, 2025) that will examine how the CBI affects the volume and composition of trade and investment between the United States and CBI beneficiary countries and how the program advances U.S. trade policy goals.
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