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PRESS RELEASE: PRESS/TPRB/290

TRADE POLICY REVIEW:

Continued reform would expand the benefits of closer integration in the world economy

Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, WTO Members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), have taken steps to further liberalize and facilitate trade since their last Review in 2001. These important reforms could be consolidated by strengthening the institutional and legal framework, particularly if they were anchored through multilateral commitments, according to a WTO Secretariat report on the trade practices and policies of the OECS-WTO Members.

See also:
> More on Antigua and Barbuda
> More on Dominica
> More on Grenada
> More on St. Kitts and Nevis
> More on St. Lucia
> More on St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  

OECS-WTO Members have continued to move successfully away from agriculture to services, in particular tourism. The small production base of these countries, however, makes them vulnerable to external shocks. This may be addressed in part by reinforcing their fiscal position through measures such as tax reforms and reducing the incentives granted to selected activities. The report also stresses the benefits OECS-WTO Members derive from their participation in the multilateral trading system.

The WTO reports (Overview and national reports), along with national statements and a joint policy statement by the OECS-WTO Members, will be the basis for the second TPR of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (WTO Members) by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO on 5 and 7 November 2007.

The WTO report, along with a policy statement by the Government, will be the basis for the Trade Policy Review (TPR) by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO.

The following documents are available in MS Word format.

OECS-WTO Members:

• Secretariat report
• Government report
    

Antigua and Barbuda:

• Secretariat report
• Government report
   

Dominica:

• Secretariat report
• Government report
   

Grenada:

• Secretariat report
• Government report
    

Saint Kitts and Nevis:

• Secretariat report
• Government report
   

Saint Lucia:

• Secretariat report
• Government report
   

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:

• Secretariat report
• Government report

Revisions of the above documents may be issued approximately 2 weeks after the meeting.

Chairperson's concluding remarks

Minutes of the meeting are available approximately 6 weeks after the meeting.

Questions and answers by WTO Members are available approximately 6 weeks after the meeting.

Note  back to top

Trade Policy Reviews are an exercise, mandated in the WTO agreements, in which member countries’ trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals. Significant developments that may have an impact on the global trading system are also monitored. For each review, two documents are prepared: a policy statement by the government of the member under review, and a detailed report written independently by the WTO Secretariat. These two documents are then discussed by the WTO’s full membership in the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB). These documents and the proceedings of the TPRB’s meetings are published shortly afterwards.

Print copies of previous TPR publications are available for sale from the WTO Secretariat, Centre William Rappard, 154 rue de Lausanne, 1211 Genève 21 and through the on-line bookshop.

The TPR publications are also available from our co-publisher Bernan Press, 4611-F Assembly Drive, Lanham, MD 20706-4391, United States.

Schedule of forthcoming reviews  back to top

Thailand: 26 and 28 November 2007
Turkey: 10 and 12 of December 2007

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