Commonwealth Chambers Move to Establish Coalition to Connect Businesses Across 42 Member Countries

Business organisations from the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia are moving to establish a new Commonwealth-wide coalition designed to bring regional and national chambers closer together and create stronger trade opportunities for businesses across member countries.

The agreement was reached during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, where members of the Network of Caribbean Chambers of Commerce (CARICHAM), the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI) and the South Asia (SAARC) Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) endorsed plans to work with the Commonwealth Businesswomen's Network (CBWN) on developing the framework for a proposed Commonwealth Coalition of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCCCI).

The proposed coalition is expected to connect business networks representing 75 per cent of the Commonwealth's 56 member countries, with a particular focus on economies experiencing rapid growth and populations with significant youth representation.

The agreement represents an initial step towards establishing the organisation, with the four participating bodies expected to work over the coming months to determine its governance structure, funding arrangements, membership and responsibilities.

The organisations say the coalition would complement their existing work rather than duplicate the services already provided by individual associations.

The initiative comes against the backdrop of efforts to increase trade among Commonwealth countries. Research by the Commonwealth indicates that bilateral trade costs are, on average, 21 per cent lower when both trading partners are Commonwealth members, a reduction attributed to shared legal systems, language and business practices.

Commonwealth leaders have also set a target of reaching US$2 trillion in intra-Commonwealth trade by 2030, a goal reaffirmed by Commonwealth Trade Ministers in 2025.

Under the proposed arrangement, each regional chamber would contribute its perspective and help ensure the framework accommodates different language groups, political groupings and business networks across its respective region.

The organisations also want the coalition to deliver services through existing regional and national chambers, with clear governance arrangements and sustainable funding established from the beginning.

The proposal was first discussed at the Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting in Namibia in June 2025 before receiving a strong welcome at the ICC World Chambers Congress in Melbourne in September 2026.

Kiran Maharaj, Chair of CARICHAM, Kebour Ghenna, Executive Director of PACCI, and Zulfiqar Ali Butt, Secretary General of SCCI, said businesses across the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia had long recognised the value of their Commonwealth connections.

However, they noted that a stronger link was needed between commitments made at the highest levels and the businesses directly involved in trade.

They said their members had called on the organisations to help establish that connection, particularly amid the changing global economic environment.

"The careful, foundational work of getting the framework right gives a coalition its best chance of delivering for small businesses, women and young entrepreneurs," the three representatives said.

The organisations are scheduled to provide further information about the initiative at a press conference on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 8:45 a.m. at the Trade Winds Hotel on J. Hadeed Street in Antigua.