Trinidad and Tobago receives favourable trade policy review at the WTO

May 24 2019:  Trinidad and Tobago on May 24, 2019 received positive feedback for its trade policies and practices by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. This position was presented during the Trade Policy Review (TPR) of the country conducted from May 22-24, 2019. The country’s delegation led by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon provided technical responses to over one hundred and sixty five questions by Members of the WTO.

In response, senior Representatives of Ireland, the United States of America, the European Union, Costa Rica, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, China, Canada, Dominican Republic, Iceland, Singapore, Colombia, Thailand, India, Japan, Tajikistan, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Guyana, Uruguay, South Korea and St. Vincent and the Grenadines congratulated the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for making headway with economic reforms, including efforts to enhance competitiveness and ensuring the sustainable strength of the country’s fiscal accounts.  Trinidad and Tobago was also lauded for its active engagement in the multilateral trading system.  The Government also received praise for the thematic areas contained in its National Development Strategy (Vision 2030).

The Trade Policy Review is mandatory under WTO rules and is geared towards providing the WTO membership with a greater understanding of the trade policies and practices of individual Member States. This meeting was the Fourth Review by the WTO since Trinidad and Tobago joined that organisation on 1^st March 2005.

Minister Gopee-Scoon was accompanied by Her Excellency Makeda Antoine-Cambridge Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nations (UN) and Specialised Agencies in Geneva; Permanent Secretary, Mr Norris Herbert, Mr. Randall Karim, Director of Policy and Strategy and Ms. Trudy Lewis, Senior Economist, of the Ministry of Trade and Industry; Ms Carolyn Jones-Merritt, Customs and Excise Division of the Ministry of Finance and diplomatic staff of the Permanent Mission of Trinidad and Tobago to the UN – Ms Mariella Fonrose and Mr Ornal Barman.