Latest update April 7th, 2025 6:08 AM
‘Tariff war’ spells grave danger for the Region – CARICOM Chair Mottley
…tells Trump: “We are not your enemy; we are your friends”
Kaieteur News- The Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, has issued a stern warning about the looming global economic challenges, highlighting the potential dangers a tariff war poses to the Caribbean.
In a statement on Friday, Mottley spoke about the severe impact a global trade conflict would have on the region, underscoring how interconnected the Caribbean economies are with international trade.
Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley
The CARICOM Chair warned that rising tariffs would lead to higher costs for everyday goods.
She said, “Our Caribbean economies are largely reliant on imports. Just go to the supermarket or visit the mall or the hardware shop or the electronic store, and you will see that most of the things there are not produced in this Region. Many of those commodities are either purchased directly from the United States of America or passed through the United States of America on their way to the Caribbean region. That, my friends, is a legacy of our colonial dependence.”
Mottley noted that while several Heads of State and Heads of Government, have been working to diversify the region away from this dependence to become more self-sufficient, there is still a long way to go.
“This trade war and the possibility of a US $1 million to $1.5 million levy on all Chinese made ships entering US harbours will mean higher prices for all of us at the corner shop, higher prices at the supermarket, higher prices at the electronic store, higher prices for us at the shop, higher prices for us at the restaurant, higher prices for us at the current dealership and beyond,” she explained.
Mottley highlighted that while many in the Caribbean may believe tariffs imposed on other countries won’t affect them, the reality is quite the opposite, as Caribbean nations rely heavily on imports for food, electronics, clothing, and other essential goods.
The CARICOM Chair explained, “So, we are, and have always been, at the whims of global prices. If Europe and China and the U.S. and Canada and Mexico are all putting tariffs on each other, that is going to disrupt supply chains, that is going to raise the cost of producing everything, from the food you eat, to the clothes on your back, to the phone in your pocket, to the car you drive down the road, to the spare parts that you need for critical infrastructure. That means higher prices for all of us to pay, and sadly, yes, this will impact all of us, regardless of what any of our Caribbean governments will do.”
Furthermore, she stressed that the Caribbean leaders must re-engage urgently, directly, and at the highest possible level with the United States of America. She also suggested that regional leaders diversify its global partnerships, noting the vulnerability of the region’s small economies.
Mottley suggested, “We must build our ties with Africa, Central and Latin America, and renew those ties with some of our older partners around the world, in the United Kingdom and Europe, and in Canada.”
Further, in her message the Donald Trump administration Mottley said, “To the United States, I say this simply. We are not your enemy. We are your friends…I say simply to President Trump; our economies are not doing your economy any harm in any way. They are too small to have any negative or distorted impact on your country. So, I ask you to consider your decades-long friendship between your country and ours. And look to the Caribbean, recognizing that the family ties, yes, are strong. Let us talk, I hope, and let us work together to keep prices down for all of our people.”
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