Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon received a courtesy call from Vice Chairman of the Anhui Provincial Committee of the Chinese Political Consultative Conference Mr. Zhou Xi’an, and a delegation from the People’s Republic of China on Friday July 26, 2024.
The meeting facilitated discussions on areas of industry and trade cooperation between Trinidad and Tobago and the Anhui Province, China.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral trade ties between the two countries. However, Minister Gopee-Scoon acknowledged that the two countries share historical links that precede official bilateral relations, dating back to 1806 when the first wave of Chinese immigrants arrived in Trinidad and Tobago.
Also reflecting on the long history, Vice Chairman Zhou Xi’an expressed his eagerness to visit Trinidad and Tobago. He noted that the Anhui Province’s GDP is 11th among the 31 Provinces in the People’s Republic of China and the region ranks 10th in terms of volume of trade, offering many possibilities for future trade and investment.
During the meeting, the parties also discussed Trinidad and Tobago’s attractiveness to investors including its access to regional markets, educated and experienced population and new SEZ regime.
Trade Statistics
In 2021 and 2022 Trinidad and Tobago’s exported products to China included both energy and non-energy products such as methanol, aromatic bitters, natural asphalt, mackerel, methanol, aeroplanes, liquified natural gas and copper scrap.
In 2022, imported products included air conditioning parts, tyres for motor cars, tyres for buses, computers, steel pipes and televisions. Total imports stood at TT$ 5 billion while total exports for that year was TT$ 1.6 billion.
