Members of the Chamber and UK Officials (left to right): Mrs. Jacqueline Ferracho-Williams – Director; Martin Cave – Executive Director; Mario Colindres – President; Lorcan O’Brien – Caribbean Trade for Development Advisor, UK Government; Mrs. Tamara Lowe-James – Director; and H.E. John Hamilton – Resident British Commissioner.
PRESS RELEASE
The Antigua and Barbuda Chamber of Commerce welcomed key stakeholders to an exclusive luncheon focused on maximizing trade opportunities under the United Kingdom’s Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Held at Goddards Catering Group, the event was co-hosted with the Resident British Commissioner, H.E. John Hamilton, and featured Mr. Lorcan O’Brien, Caribbean Trade Lead at the British High Commission.
Designed to deepen economic ties and equip local businesses with practical knowledge, the session offered timely guidance on accessing duty-free markets in the UK and broader ACP-EU networks.
Key Takeaways
– Unlocking Export Potential
Mr. O’Brien’s presentation delivered clear strategies for navigating preferential tariffs offered to CARIFORUM countries, including how to meet rules-of-origin criteria and secure the necessary EUR1 certificates.
– Strengthening Business Resilience
With rising tariffs from other jurisdictions, UK trade access presents a vital pathway for growth, especially for SMEs seeking diversified markets.
– Supporting Capacity Building
The Chamber’s President, Mario Colindres emphasized the alignment between UK EPA strategies and the Chamber’s Trade diversification outlook, noting plans to integrate compliance training into the Chamber’s Trade framework.
Leadership Perspective
“Today’s discussion offered actionable insights to help our private sector adapt to global shifts,” said Chamber President Mario Colindres. “We are pleased to host these types of fora that empower local exporters to step confidently into international arenas.”
Executive Director, Martin Cave, added, “We see these engagements of bringing technical knowledge to producers; manufacturers; regulators and as many actors in industry together as necessary for the purpose of building capacity.” In doing so we seek to raise our countries profile and to extend our exporting abilities; by pairing strategic dialogue with hands-on tools, we’re ensuring businesses don’t just dream of market expansion—they’re equipped to achieve it.”
The Antigua and Barbuda Chamber of Commerce is committed to fostering sustainable growth, regional collaboration, and private sector leadership through knowledge-sharing, policy advocacy, and inclusive innovation.
Good to see such focus and practical management.
Finally. They spoke about that since early last year so I’m happy to see some progress