July 18, 2025
The trade flows from the Caribbean to the USA are almost negligible, so a 10 percent tariff on Caribbean based goods- while it may hurt a few exporters- will not topple Caribbean countries economically.
Now, if Trump imposed a travel fee on persons travelling to the Caribbean from the US and those travelling through the US to the Caribbean, then yeah, we would have a problem.
We should consider ourselves lucky to be so far off of the US’s radar that they don’t do something more egregious to us.
Also, and this is just my take, it does not help when you go to these regional meetings and you start to take shots at the US Trump administration, as if he cares firstly and secondly, if he is not treating us with scant regard and would do anything to us that comes to his mind.
Trump is not being malicious to us with this 10 percent tariff, he just is not bothered about how we or anyone would take it. So, why would you put yourself on his radar by all of that reckless talk? It is not worth it.
Not to say you should silence your voices. But harsh rhetoric and blustering is not needed. Speak as if you have some decorum and diplomacy and try to work our countries through this season. And it is just a season.