EU-Caribbean Relations in Figures

Trade

EU goods imports from the Caribbean ACP countries peaked in 2002 at almost 3.5 bio Euro. These were the combined imports from the Dominican Republic, the main Caribbean exporter to the EU at over 1 bio Euro, and the ACP countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM): Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago:

The EU is the region's second trading partner after the United States, accounting for some 19% of the region's exports and 16% of its imports (2002).

EU imports from the region include agricultural products such as rum (11%), sugar (8%) and bananas (5.5%) but also mineral products (notably aluminium-related - 8%). Virtually all Caribbean products currently benefit from duty-free access into the EU; for sugar and bananas this is within certain quantities. Caribbean imports from the EU are mainly manufactured products.

Trade-related assistance

The EU is the biggest aid donor to the Caribbean in terms of grants. Aid is given according to coherent support strategies agreed with the Caribbean governments.

Under the 9th European Development Fund, the Caribbean Regional Indicative Programme (57 million Euro) focuses on support to Caribbean regional integration, including the region's integration into the world economy.

Further trade-related assistance is provided under all-ACP programmes aimed at integrating the ACP States into the multilateral trading system of the WTO (10 million Euro for all ACP countries), preparing the Economic Partnership Agreements (20 million Euro for all ACP), promoting investment (European Investment Bank non-grant support, 2 million Euro "Trinnex" facility under the ProInvest programme), assisting specific sectors (bananas: some 30 million Euro annually; rum: 70 million Euro; rice: 24 million Euro; services, notably tourism: 8 million Euro) and addressing bottlenecks related to sanitary standards (all-ACP programmes for fishery exports and pesticides control). The Caribbean ACP countries will also benefit from a 50-million Euro trade capacity building programme targeting all ACP countries ("Trade.Com") due to come on stream later in 2004.

For the French, German and Spanish versions of this document please go to:

http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=MEMO/04/83|0|RAPID&lg=FR

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• Commissioner Nielson's Speech at the Opening of negotiations between CARIFORUM and the EU in Jamaica (19/4/2004)
• Commissioner Lamy's Speech at the Opening of negotiations between CARIFORUM and the EU in Jamaica (19/4/2004)