US Embassy Barbados and Eastern Caribbean

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CS PARTNER POST- BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS
US Embassy Barbados and Eastern Caribbean
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AGENDA
Commercial Overview of CS Partner Post- US
Embassy Bridgetown

• Eastern Caribbean Islands Covered
• Country Profile
• Economic Overview
• Political Overview
• Best Prospects for U.S Exports and Opportunities
  in Barbados
• Opportunities in the Eastern Caribbean

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Which Islands are Covered in The Eastern
Caribbean?

• Antigua Barbuda
• Barbados
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Kitts Nevis
• Saint Vincent the Grenadines

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US EMBASSY BRIDGETOWN

• Commercial Services are covered by the Political
  Economic Section since FCS closed its office in
  Barbados in 2007.
• US Embassy Bridgetown is now equipped to handle
  all requests that may come through FCS since the
  MOU has been signed.

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• Saint Lucia
• Area
• 238 square milesPopulation
• 166,000Unemployment 15.7.

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GDP (2006) 899 millionGDP growth rate
4.5Per capita GDP 4,803Inflation 2.34
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• Imports
• 475 million (merchandise) and 159 million
  (services).
• Major suppliers--United States (43.9), Trinidad
  and Tobago (14.2), European Union (14.2), Japan
  (4.6), and Barbados (3.0).
• Exports
• 64 million (merchandise) and 389 million
  (services).

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• Dominica
• Area
• 290 square milesPopulation
• 69,000Unemployment
• 13.1

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GDP (2006) 318.5 million. GDP growth rate
4.0. Per capita GDP 4,758.Inflation 2.4.
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• Imports
• 165 million (merchandise) and 49 million
  (services).
• Major suppliers--United States (36.6), Trinidad
  and Tobago (20.5), China (19.4), European Union
  (13.4), and Japan (4.6).
• Exports
• 39.0 million (merchandise) and 82.0 million
  (services).

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Eastern Caribbean- Organization of Caribbean
States

• Market size 6 countries with population range of
  between 40, 000 in St. Kitts and Nevis to 170,
  000 in St. Lucia.
• Stable Political environment
• High level of education
• Official language is English
• GDP range is from 365 million to 1.126
  billion per capita ranges from 9, 900 to
  19,000.
• GDP Growth ranges from 2.1 in AB to 5 t o SVG
  (2008 est.)

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EASTERN CARIBBEAN

• Inflation rates range from 1.9 in St. Lucia to
  6.1 to St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2008
  est.)
• The Eastern Caribbean are similar to Barbados
  key sectors tourism, telecommunications,
  infrastructural development, call centers and
  transcription centers.

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Eastern Caribbean Central Bank

• Sets Common Monetary Policy for the OECS

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• Monetary Stability
• OECS has a fixed exchange rate of 2.7 Eastern
  Caribbean Dollar (XCD) to 1 USD
• One of only 4 multi-state central banks in the
  world.

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US EMBASSY BARBADOS E. CARIBBEAN
Foreign Commercial Service, Dominican
Republic Maria Elena Portorreal Tel (809)
227-2121 Maria.ElenaPortorreal_at_mail.doc.gov
Jake Aller Commercial Officer AllerJC2_at_state.gov
Jonelle M. Watson Political Economic/ Commercial
Assistant Tel [phone] WatsonJM_at_state.gov
D.R.Seckinger Political/Economic Officer Tel
[phone] SeckingerDR_at_state.gov
www.BuyUSA.gov/caribbean