Browse Data and Analysis

Caribbean Basin > Aruba + Barbados + Cayman Islands + Curacao + Dominca + Grenada + Guyana + Saint Kitts and Nevis + Saint Vincent and the Grenadines + Saint Lucia + Trinidad and Tobago

Access to the benefits of modern agricultural biotechnology in the Caribbean Basin remains stifled by the unfinished work of implementing a science-based, risk-management approach to regulate its use.

In the Caribbean region, sales value in the retail grocery sector increased by 3 percent in 2023. This is due in part to the rise in tourism in many markets, which is boosting economic growth. The largest grocery retail markets are Trinidad and Tobago, Guadeloupe, and the Bahamas.

As tourists flock back to the Caribbean in larger numbers and island economies regain their footing after being challenged by global inflation, competition, and other headwinds, opportunities for U.S. suppliers are slowly emerging. While hurdles remain present on the horizon, U.S. suppliers are finding resilient Caribbean buyers to be excellent partners on the road to commercial success.

Demand for U.S. consumer-oriented products in the Caribbean region reached $1.5 billion in 2022, a 26 percent gain compared to the previous year.

Over a dozen Caribbean countries are Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. With an aim toward meeting their obligations under this agreement, many have been working toward establishing their National Biosafety Frameworks for many years.

Sales in the Caribbean Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional (HRI) food service sector increased by 11 percent in 2022.

Sales in the Caribbean retail grocery sector decreased by 1.7 percent in 2022, primarily as the result of closing retail outlets in the French West Indies.

The Caribbean’s rebound from the economic downturn induced by the COVID-19 pandemic has been slow. Anxious for better times, the region is looking ahead at 2023 and hoping for improved tourist arrivals that will spark a return to more robust economic growth.

This report outlines Barbados’ import requirements for food and agricultural products. U.S. suppliers should be mindful that while Barbados is receptive to imports, extensive labeling requirements apply for practically all foodstuffs, export certification is required for a large number of items, and import licensing applies to some products as well.

This report outlines Barbados’ certification requirements and includes an Export Certificate Matrix as well as examples of select export certificates. For import requirements other than export certificates, please refer to the 2022 FAIRS Country Report for Barbados.

With international funding to develop and implement biosafety regulatory systems drying up in 2019, Caribbean biosafety regulatory efforts remain in idle mode. The region is seeking further funding from the United Nations Environmental Program/Global...