In this Issue. CARIFORUM BSOs Strengthen Institutional Capacity for providing Trade Information Services

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1 Official E-Newsletter of the Caribbean Export Development Agency VOL. 5 NO. 3 SEPT-OCT, 2012 CARIFORUM BSOs Strengthen Institutional Capacity for providing Trade Information Services Nearly 2.5million Awarded to Caribbean Businesses From left: Ramesh Ramdeen (TTMA), Nadia Hebboul (ITC), David Gomez, Pamela Coke Hamilton (Caribbean Export) and Martin Lopez (ITC) Over twenty (20) Business Support Organisations (BSOs) across the region were afforded the opportunity to build their institutional capacities for delivering enhanced trade information services to their respective private sector. This was achieved through delivery of the First Regional Trade Information Training Programme and Data Processing and Collection Mechanisms Training on September 24 - October 3, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency, Trinidad and Tobago. The training was conducted by Caribbean Export with technical support from the International Trade Centre, Geneva and was funded under the European Union (EU) 10th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme. According to David Gomez, Manager - Trade and Export Development at Caribbean Export, The programme assumes an integrated approach that aims to provide technical competence to BSOs in utilising readily available tools for the provision of trade information services to their clientele. It will also build on that through the combined provision of specialised training to build capacity for managing data sources and Continued on page 5 Kirk Brown, Senior Grant Advisor The allocation of grants to Caribbean businesses has successfully concluded under the Direct Assistance Grant Scheme managed by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export). Caribbean Export has awarded a total of 142 grants, between , with grant contracts totaling an impressive 2,498, under this year s budget. Continued on page 2 Caribbean Export 26th Board Meeting will take place on October 29, The meeting will be held in Antigua & Barbuda at The Verandah Resort. The 2 nd CARIFORUM Conference on the International Financial Services Sector in the Caribbean Region Antigua and Barbuda, October 2012, Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa p 3 In this Issue FOSTERING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT Launch Of The Haiti-Dominican Republic Programme Of Bilateral Economic And Trade Cooperation The 2nd CARIFORUM Conference on the International Financial Services Sector in the Caribbean Region will be held at the Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and Spa on October 30-31, The Conference hosted by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, in collaboration with Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) and the CARICOM Secretariat, is geared towards the participation of experts and practitioners in the fields of financial services and international business. Continued on page 2 p 5 p 7 p 8 COMPETITIVENESS & INNOVATION Grant Writing Training Sessions TRADE & EXPORT DEVELOPMENT CARIBBEAN at 13th World Export Development Forum & 9th TPO World Conference FASHION SUCCESS STORIES Regional Fashion Goes To Dominicana Moda 2012 Tradewatch The Official E-Newsletter of the Caribbean Export Development Agency Vol. 5 No. 3 September-October,

2 Continued from page 1 Nearly 2.5million Awarded to Caribbean Businesses Grants have been awarded to export businesses across a multitude of sectors with by and far the largest sector awarded being manufacturing. The funding provided to these beneficiaries will be used to modernize equipment, upgrade facilities to international food and quality standards, enhance products and packaging, implement alternative energy systems, train staff, develop collateral materials, market and promote products and services. The success of the scheme is being lauded to the continued efforts to enhance the technical capacity among firms in the area of proposal writing across all 15 CARIFORUM Member States. With over 71% of firms achieving above the standard pass mark of 60 for their proposal it is clear businesses are benefiting exponentially from the training received from Caribbean Export. Additionally, firms that submit grant applications of a higher quality naturally increase their probability of being awarded a grant, as well as access to funding to develop and grow their export business. The exportation of products and services from the Caribbean is crucial for economic success and social development of the region and Caribbean businesses must be able to compete on the international stage. Caribbean Export s Direct Assistance Grant Scheme has provided a platform that supports Caribbean business to become more innovative and compete internationally and thus supporting the mantra of exporting the Caribbean to the world. A full list of beneficiaries and more information about the Direct Assistance Grant Scheme can be found at Contact: Kirk Brown, Senior Grant Advisor (kbrown@caribexport.com) or Celestine Moe, Grant Advisor (cmoe@carib-export.com), Caribbean Export Development Agency, Tel: +1(246) , Fax: +1(246) The 2 nd CARIFORUM Conference on the International Financial Services Sector in the Caribbean Region Continued from page 1 The conference will examine the emerging framework of governance of international finance and will explore lessons learned by small state financial centres, opportunities presented and challenges to be avoided. In addition, non-tax business models will be reviewed and the extent to which these models can be applied to the Caribbean context assessed. The roles and current stance of new institutions will be discussed and a new Financial Services Architecture for the Caribbean region will be proposed. This is a follow-up to the first CARIFORUM Conference on Financial Services which was convened in Antigua and Barbuda on July 9-10, 2010, in response to the increased financial strain and pressure placed on CARIFORUM States and increased scrutiny from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on socalled off-shore sectors. The objective of that Conference was to, inter alia, review the status of financial services and the regulatory environment in the Caribbean and to provide a forum for the exchange of views on new capacities, initiatives and other developments which may be beneficial to the Caribbean. It also served to facilitate among its participants, a better understanding of the economic importance of the financial services sector to the Caribbean and the efforts of Caribbeanbased International Financial Centres to comply with international standards and best practices in the area of financial services. For further information on the Conference contact Mrs. Andrea Alleyne at aalleyne@carib-export.com or telephone (246) Tradewatch BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ACP Cultures launches Second Call for Proposals The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) launched the Second Call for Proposals of the ACP Cultures + Programme on September 18, 2012 and it will close on December, This Call for Proposals to which EUR has been allocated, is expected to benefit ACP and European operators carrying out cooperation projects in the field of audiovisual and cultural sectors. The aim is to contribute to the fight against poverty through the development and consolidation of viable and sustainable cultural industries in ACP countries by reinforcing their contribution to social and economic development, as well as the preservation of cultural diversity. The application forms and all necessary information relative to the Call are available on the website of the European Commission s Directorate-General for Development and Cooperation EuropeAid. 2 Tradewatch The Official E-Newsletter of the Caribbean Export Development Agency Vol. 5 No. 3 September-October, 2012

3 Tradewatch FOSTERING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT Launch of the Haiti-Dominican Republic Programme of Bilateral Economic and Trade Cooperation From left: Mr. Antonio Vargas Hernandez, National Authorising Officer of the Dominican Republic, Mr. Joao de Santana, Head of Operations of the EU Delegation in Haiti, H.E. Mr. Wilson Laleau, Minister of Commerce and Industry of Haiti, Mr. Price Pady, National Authorising Officer of Haiti, Mrs. Pamela Coke Hamilton, Executive Director of Caribbean Export Mr. Javier Nino Perez, Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Haiti and Mrs. Pamela Coke Hamilton, Executive Director of Caribbean Export The 10th EDF Haiti-Dominican Republic Programme of Bilateral Economic and Trade Cooperation in the Context of the CARIFORUM- EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) was launched in Portau-Prince, Haiti on September 18, The EUR 7,200,000 programme will be managed by Caribbean Export and financed under the 10th EDF Caribbean Regional Indicative Programme (RIP) as well as the 10th EDF National Indicative Programme (NIP) of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Programme seeks to promote the development of Haiti and the Dominican Republic by supporting the regional integration process that takes into consideration the demands of sustainable development and the needs of poverty reduction strategies. The component which will be executed by the Agency through its Sub-Regional Office in the Dominican Republic and a Programme Office to be installed in Haiti over the next few weeks aims to: I. Strengthen the capacity to develop, enforce and implement trade policies and regulations and supporting investment promotion; II. Facilitate trade flows and strengthening the customs administrations; III. Directly assist business support organisation and small and medium sized enterprises. The process of recruiting staff for the programme is underway and it is expected that activities will start rolling out in November 2012 with full implementation from January CARIFORUM and Non State Actors Discuss CARIFORUM-EU Consultative Committee CARIFORUM Directorate and representatives of CARIFORUM Non- State actors met in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on September 11-12, 2012 to determine the make-up of the CARIFORUM-EU Consultative Committee. This Committee is the last of the five to come on stream and is designed to engage civil society in the CARIFORUM-EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) implementation process. The meeting was funded by resources from the EU s 10th European Development Fund (EDF), made available by Caribbean Export, as well as the UK Department for International Development (DFID), through the Caribbean Aid for Trade and Regional Integration Trust Fund (CARTFund). The Director-General of the CARIFORUM Directorate, Mr Ivan Ogando Lora, said of the Consultative Committee, it is intended as a formal platform for civil society to lend its voice to the EPA implementation process, which we have an interest in making as inclusive as possible with respect to the stakeholders involved. He further noted, while, regrettably, the pace at which the slate of CARIFORUM representatives on the Consultative Committee is being worked out has been slower than any of us would have hoped, I am happy to report that we are now on the cusp of bringing this effort to fruition. We expect that the meeting with CARIFORUM non-state actors next week will pave the way for the crystallization of the Consultative Committee in short order. Tradewatch The Official E-Newsletter of the Caribbean Export Development Agency Vol. 5 No. 3 September-October,

4 Tradewatch COMPETITIVENESS & INNOVATION Caribbean Export Screens Built to Last Documentary Sanna Allsopp, producer of Built to Last Participants viewing the film Caribbean Export screened its sports documentary Built-to-Last at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival on Monday September 24, 2012 at 1:00pm at the Little Carib Theatre. The 52 minute long film chronicles the achievements of the region s athletes over the past five decades and features such athletes as Olympic Gold Medallist Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica s Silver Medallist, Yohan Blake, among others. The film will also serve as part of a new initiative by the Agency to promote sports as a driver of economic development for Caribbean countries. The screening of the film was followed immediately by a round-table discussion on the theme Sports as a Driver of Economic Development. The panel was moderated by Pamela Coke Hamilton, Executive Director of Caribbean Export and included key experts in the area of the business of sports from Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. Further regional screenings will be made in Jamaica later in ProNET and Export Marketing Workshops ProNET and Export Workshop Since the start of this year GIZ and Caribbean Export have rolled out a series of workshops throughout the region. These workshops included two training programmes: ProNET and Export Marketing which were designed to provide institutional strengthening and export marketing training to SMEs and Business Support Organisations (BSOs). To date there have been ten workshops, with a total of 112 participants trained from across the CARIFORUM region including 35 BSO staff members. Caribbean Export and GIZ are committed to improving the basic business skills of SMEs as a vehicle to increased productivity and competitiveness. The eventual goal of the training is to make regional firms export ready and positioned to take advantage of the opportunities available under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). These objectives are in keeping with the institutional goal of enhancing private sector development to create an enabling environment for businesses and are directly related to Caribbean Export s mandate under the European Union s 10th EDF. Apart from reaching SME s directly, the programme has a long-term goal of creating a pool of certified trainers in the region, who will be qualified to deliver the ProNET and Export Marketing material. These trainers were identified early in the programme and at the end of this latest training cycle twelve trainers will be eligible to be certified as ProNET or Export Marketing Trainers. These trainers will be able to offer their services training SMEs. In addition the programme partners with BSOs such as the Small Business Association of Barbados to connect with the SME community. This strategic alliance enables a wider outreach to businesses that will benefit the most from the workshops. The training programme will continue with Export Marketing workshops in Barbados and Jamaica with a similar format. Following this a regional workshop for BSOs and trainers will be held in Barbados on November 2 and 3. At this workshop the future of the programme will be discussed and strategies will be developed to streamline the training to ensure its relevance to the needs of the small business community. Over fifty participants have been invited to participate including international training consultants as well as senior staff of GIZ and Caribbean Export will participate in open consultation. 4 Tradewatch The Official E-Newsletter of the Caribbean Export Development Agency Vol. 5 No. 3 September-October, 2012

5 Tradewatch COMPETITIVENESS & INNOVATION Caribbean Export Sponsors Leed Designation Barbadian service providers are now better able to gain their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate and Accredited Professional designation, thanks to the kind support of Caribbean Export and the German Agency for International Cooperation. The project, which is coordinated by the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries Inc. (BCSI) will enable professionals ranging from architects, engineers, contractors, interior designers, urban planners, real estate developers and policymakers with the LEED designation to bid on major and residential projects with large overseas firms. The project was developed to create new opportunities and enable construction services providers to enter the green building market space confidently and competitively because too few of the service providers have the certification. Participants will benefit from online preparation for the LEED exams, provision of all training materials, study guide and support for successful applicants to take the qualifying exam. Two years of the project will be dedicated to credential maintenance. Grant Writing Training Sessions Head Table - Mr. Hans P. Garoute (left), Chairman of the Board of the Chambre de Métiers et de l Artisanat d Haïti, and Kirk Brown (right), Senior Grants Advisor; Ms. Elodie Cajuste (not pictured) Participants at the Workshop To date over three hundred (300) regional firms and Business Support Organisations (BSOs) have benefited from Caribbean Export s Grant Proposal Writing Training. The training is part of Caribbean Export s thrust to increase awareness and understanding of proposal writing techniques so [that] the private sector can access business and funding opportunities, stated Kirk Brown, Caribbean Export s Senior Grant Advisor. Training sessions were held in Barbados on September 13, 2012 in association with the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries and Haiti in collaboration with the Chambre de Métiers et de l Artisanat d Haïti, on September 19-21, The participants expressed high satisfaction with the training and indicated that their expectations were met. In addition, they got an appreciation of the grant application procedure and gained an understanding the role of Caribbean Export in the process. Further training will be held over the next quarter. CARIFORUM BSOs Strengthen Institutional Capacity for providing Trade Information Services Continued from page 1 the organisation of BSOs at the national level into trade information networks. The initiative is part of a wider programme of building the competitiveness of the regional private sector that involves the development of a regional market intelligence portal. In addition, it is expected that the formation of management structures at the national and regional levels would allow for more effective engagement of the private sector by BSOs based on identified trade information needs for firms. Speaking at the opening ceremony for the event, the agency s Executive Director, Mrs Pamela Coke-Hamilton stated that a prevailing obstacle to development of the region s private sector is the lack of reliable trade and business intelligence to inform SMEs decision making. According to Coke-Hamilton this training program, when considered alongside the regional market intelligence portal and other management and operational structures being considered for trade information services reflects a comprehensive approach by Caribbean Export to provide TPOs and BSOs across the region with the right tools as well as the inter-institutional structures required to effectively meet the trade information needs of the region s private sector. Mr Ramesh Randeen, Trade Policy Specialist of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturer s Association echoed the comments of Coke- Hamilton stating that manufacturers seeking access into extra-regional markets such as Latin America are always desirous of market information. Questions such as what are the duties for my products and what are the requirements to enter are posed from time to time in an attempt to gather market intelligence before entering the particular market. Additionally, trade research on import and export data is required to understand the various markets which manufacturers attempt to enter. The new trainees are now expected to lead the charge in their respective countries with regards to mapping the institutional landscape for trade related organizations and for forging agreement between and among those organizations for the formation of national trade information networks that would involve the clarification of roles and responsibilities in the delivery of trade information services and appointment of a national contact point. Caribbean Export will continue to work with four of the countries that participated in the first regional program (Barbados, St Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago) to pilot the establishment of the national trade information networks. Work will also continue with the other countries to help them complete their institutional mapping and to prepare for setting up their networks. In the meantime the regional market intelligence portal is expected to be completed later this year and to be formally launched in Tradewatch The Official E-Newsletter of the Caribbean Export Development Agency Vol. 5 No. 3 September-October,

6 Tradewatch COMPETITIVENESS & INNOVATION Regional Firms to Participating in FIHAV, 2012 Caribbean Companies Participate in the First Expo CIBAO Regional firms will be given the opportunity to seek business opportunities by participating at the Havana International Fair (FIHAV) on November 4-10, Selected companies will be provided with a booth within the Expo, to showcase and promote their products to a wide range of businesses both from Cuba and internationally. According to Pamela Coke Hamilton, Caribbean Export s Executive Director, Caribbean Export s intervention in FIHAV 2012 will focus on creating business opportunities between Cuba and CARIFORUM member states in order to promote the sectors that are readily positioned within a global trade context. At the same time, the Agency seeks to provide the necessary discussion platform to take on specific trade-related issues that business between Cuba and the rest of the CARIFORUM member states. In this regard Caribbean Export has partnered with the Cuban Chamber of Commerce to a Business-to-Business matching with selected companies, Coke Hamilton concluded. An event produced by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment of the Republic of Cuba, the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, the Conventions Palace and EXPOCUBA, FIHAV is entering its 30th edition this year. FIHAV is a multi-sector commercial fair with the main industry sectors covered comprising consumer goods, machinery, equipment, information technology, raw materials and services. FIHAV 2011 was attended by more than 1000 companies from 58 countries in around 18,000 square meters. Ambassador Collin Murdoch, Chairperson of Caribbean Export seated third from left with Escipion Oliveira (Caribbean Export), María Victoria Menicucci Mella, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Production of Santiago, Mr. Fernado Puig Miller, Executive Director Chamber of Commerce and Production of Santiago Escipion Oliveira (Caribbean Export) with participants at the Cibao Expo A delegation of 8 Caribbean manufacturers and twelve (12) European buyers from the agribusiness sector were provided with the opportunity to network and discuss business opportunities at Expo Cibao, September 10-16, 2012 in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Companies from Saint Lucia, Jamaica, Belize, Guyana, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago exhibited their products in the Caribbean Pavilion at the Expo and attracted several visitors. They also participated in the Business Forum organised by the Santiago Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Caribbean Export. Likewise companies from the French delegation of buyers and French overseas territory, organised by the Dominican-French Chamber of Commerce, had the opportunity to participate in bilateral meetings with buyers and suppliers as well as visits to processing plants and crop farms. More than 200 business meetings were arranged between foreign and local entrepreneurs with the support of the Center for Exportation and Investment of the Dominican Republic and the Santiago Chamber of Commerce. 6 Tradewatch The Official E-Newsletter of the Caribbean Export Development Agency Vol. 5 No. 3 September-October, 2012

7 Tradewatch TRADE & EXPORT DEVELOPMENT CARIBBEAN at 13 th World Export Development Forum & 9 th TPO World Conference Honouring an invitation of the International Trade Centre (ITC) Caribbean Export participated in the 13th World Export Development Forum (WEDF) represented by Mr. Escipion Oliveira, Deputy Executive Director and Mr. David Gomez, Manager, Trade and Export Development. The event which was held in Jakarta, Indonesia under the theme Linking Growth Markets is the International Trade Centre s flagship event for policymakers and business leaders to explore trade trends and prospects for emerging markets and provide participants an opportunity to dialogue around the thematic area on how this can be achieved. Escipion Oliveira, Deputy Executive Director, Caribbean Export with colleagues from Tanzania and Niger at Expo Indonesia During the WEDF the representatives from Caribbean Export had opportunities to meet with the ITC leadership including its Executive Director Mrs Patricia Francis and Deputy Executive Director Mr Jean-Marie Paugam, as well as with the head of different technical departments of the ITC including the Division of Country Programs which has responsibility for Latin America and the Caribbean (Mr. Friedrich von Kirchbach); Business and Trade Policy section (Rajesh Aggarwal); and section for TSI Benchmarking and Capacity Building (Mr José Alberto Prunello). The opportunity was used to advance discussions on key areas of cooperation expected under a new MOU being negotiated between both agencies. H.E. Ms. Emma Hippolyte, Minister for Commerce Business Development and Consumer Affairs of Saint Lucia, made a presentation on Improving Commodity Supply Chains for Greater Regional and Global Food Security during the plenary Session of October 16th. In her presentation Minister Hippolyte explained the work being carried out by her country to improve agricultural output including, among others, the modernisation agricultural practice, attracting youth back to agriculture, linking national efforts with regional ones and strengthening supply chains from farm to market. In the framework of the official programme of WEDF Mr David Gomez made a presentation on the region s efforts at promoting services sector exports and innovation under the parallel session with the same theme. Here he examined questions such as the impact of having the right policy and regulatory frameworks for enhancing services exports; how exports of services can be promoted to reach their potential in generating employment and driving economic development; and the roles of the public and private sector in achieving the right environment for successfully conducting services business. According to Gomez, Caribbean Export s initiatives are regional in scope and are built around three objectives, specifically: (i) shifting the prevailing policy frameworks in the region to allow nontourism services to secure a higher level of priority and consequently to benefit from commensurate levels of financial resources for development of the services sector; (ii) engaging the regional public and private sector through the regional network or services coalitions in dialogue and action around development of the services sector in general including for organization and capacity building support for sector level associations and other services businesses support organizations; and (iii) support for export development and promotion through more effective programming and concrete platforms such as Design Caribbean and others that help enterprises (SMEs) to reach markets; articulation of export road maps and a regional export strategy; and better forms of direct assistance that target the financial and technical needs to those SMEs within and across the region. Mr. Escipion Oliveira stated the need of the Caribbean to work as a unified and cohesive region in order to successfully overcome the challenges of promoting trade and investment in a globalised world. In this regard, he stressed the commitment of Caribbean Export to continue its work alongside the CARICOM Secretariat and the CARIFORUM Directorate in favour of the sustainable development of CARIFORUM States. Mr. Oliviera believes that the WEDF also provides an excellent opportunity for the Caribbean region as a whole to exchange best practices of other regions and to continue with the process of building its network of international partners including with the ITC. Jamaica s JAMPRO, St. Lucia s Office of Private Sector Relations (OPSR), and Trinidad and Tobago s Business Development Corporation (soon to be Export TT) also participated in the event in their individual capacities and on their own cognizance. In informal meetings with the representatives from Caribbean Export the three agencies above requested that Caribbean Export examine the utility of continued participation in future WEDF and other similar events within the context of broader private sector development with a view to building their institutional capacities to better service their respective members and constituents. These agencies along with Caribbean Export will also participate at the 9th TPO World Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia between the October, 2012 and following the WEDF Jamaica is expected to receive an award at this event in the category of Best TPO in a Small Island Developing Country. Participation at WEDF is directly relevant to the work of Caribbean Export with the support of the International Trade Centre for the development of a regional export strategy. Under the 10th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Program this is one of the expected outputs and the results from the regional export strategy is expected to give relevance and context to the work of Caribbean Export in the future. Tradewatch The Official E-Newsletter of the Caribbean Export Development Agency Vol. 5 No. 3 September-October,

8 Tradewatch FASHION SUCCESS STORIES Regional Fashion Goes to Dominicana Moda 2012 London Engage (August 2012) is where the rest of the world experienced the Caribbean Brand. As part of this event Trinidadian fashion designer Meiling won the opportunity through participating in Break Point, Caribbean Export s answer to the Uk s hit show Dragon s Den, where entrepreneurs from CARIFORUM states were given the opportunity to pitch their businesses to a panel of angel investors, venture capitalists and distributors. Meiling s passionate and enthusing pitch caught the attention of experienced investor and managing director of The Rockstar Mentoring Group, Jonathan Pfahl. Pfahl and Meiling are currently in talks with the aim of bringing the Meiling brand to the UK market. I would want to take this opportunity to thank the European Union s support through the 10th European Development Fund. None of this would have been possible without their funding to the Caribbean Export Development Agency s work programme with the Fashion Industry, says Meiling. Firms participating in Break Point came from Barbados, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Break Point will be aired as a reality TV series across the region in Also as part of London Engage, Guyanese fashion designer Sonia Noel was able to show case her collection at the Caribbean Exports Caribbean Fashion Showcase along with other exceptional designers from the region. Having seen Noel s designs reigning Miss Guyana Universe Leila Lopes wore one of Noel s original pieces at the Miss Guyana Universe in September. Lopes has also commissioned Noel to design two outfits for red carpet events in New York. Prisca Milliance Haitian Designer Five regional designers have been selected to highlight the region s flourishing fashion talent in the Dominican Republic, when they present their collections at Dominicana Moda on October 23, Showcasing designers include Trinidadian designer Meiling, who has worked closely on a number of successful projects with Emmy Award-winning costume designer Peter Minshall, Jamaican designer Arlene Martin whose designs have been worn by Jamaican supermodel and American Vogue favorite Jaunel McKenzie, up and coming Haitian designer Prisca Milliance, from Antigua and Barbuda designer Jean-Marie Thomas, and menswear designer Rykii de Jude from Barbados. The presence of CARICOM designers in Dominicana Moda 2012 is part of the longterm engagement of Caribbean Export to develop capacity and increase the visibility of the region s fashion industry, stated Pamela Coke Hamilton, Caribbean Export s Executive Director. This follows on the successful London Engage Fashion Showcase presented in London during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games; the presentation of Eleven (11) designers Meiling Trinidadian Designer in Caribbean Fashion Week 2012, and the Caribbean Collections London Fashion Week debut in February 2012, she added. Besides showcasing their collections, these designers will also have the opportunity to engage with manufacturers and suppliers from the Dominican Republic, thanks to the collaboration of the Dominican Textile Association (ADITEX), which has partnered with Caribbean Export, the European Union and the Dominican Directorate for Multilateral Cooperation (DIGECOOM) to foster intra-regional business opportunities during this event. Dominicana Moda 2012 will take place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from October 22-27, Now in its seventh (7th) edition, Dominicana Moda is a major fashion event in the Dominican Republic. This initiative was made possible by the European Union under the Regional Private Sector Development Programme that is being implemented by Caribbean Export within the framework of the 10th European Development Fund. 8 Tradewatch The Official E-Newsletter of the Caribbean Export Development Agency Vol. 5 No. 3 September-October, 2012

9 Tradewatch UPCOMING EVENTS OCTOBER 2012 Event Location Date *ITC/Caribbean Export Data Processing and Collection Mechanisms Training Trinidad & Tobago October 1-3 FOROMIC 2012 Barbados October 1-3 *Export Marketing Training Saint Lucia October 8-12 *Export Marketing Training Barbados October *CAIPA Training St. Vincent & the Grenadines October World Export Development Forum, ITC Indonesia October th PRC-LAC Business Summit China October *Export Marketing Training Jamaica October Dominicana Moda 2012 Dominican Republic October Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC)-IDB VI Americas Competitiveness Forum Colombia October th World Entrepreneurship Forum France October *Caribbean Export 26th Board Meeting Antigua & Barbuda October 29 Regional IP Strategy Steering Committee Dominican Republic October th meeting of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians Grenada October TT-CSI Services Week Trinidad & Tobago October 29- November 2 2nd CARIFORUM International Financial Services Conference Antigua & Barbuda October NOVEMBER 2012 *Workshop on Building Regional Export Capacity for SMEs Barbados November 2-3 *ProNet/Export Marketing Training Trinidad & Tobago TBC FIHAV International Trade Show Cuba November 4-10 *Regional Media Workshop on the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement Grenada November *Market Intelligence Consultative Meetings with ITC and WTO Switzerland November Performance Management Training Barbados November CAIPA Annual General Assembly Bahamas November DECEMBER 2012 *ProNet Jamaica December 3-7 Employee Relations Training TBC * Caribbean Export led activities Tradewatch The Official E-Newsletter of the Caribbean Export Development Agency Vol. 5 No. 3 September-October,

10 Tradewatch ABOUT US Caribbean Export Development Agency Head Office: 1st Floor Baobab Towers Warrens St Michael BB22026 BARBADOS, W.I. Tel: (246) Fax: (246) Sub Regional Office: Calle Carlos Lora No.9 Ensanche Los Restauradores Santo Domingo DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Tel: (809) Fax: (809) Website: Caribbean.Export CaribXport TheCaribbeanExport Caribbean Export s Key Result Areas And Goals Fostering an enabling environment for trade and investment within the region through regional integration, cooperation and advocacy initiatives designed to position the region more effectively in the world economy. Enhancing Competitiveness Increase the competitiveness of firms in CARIFORUM countries in selected sectors through investment, management and product development, market expansion and export diversification. Promoting Investment - Promote the Caribbean region as a prime destination for intra and extra-regional investment. Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Networking - Enhance the capacity of public and private sector BSOs, particularly sector associations, trade promotion organisations and investment promotion agencies, and support the development of vibrant Caribbean business networks to improve services to clients. We are very interested in your feedback. Please your comments to: tradewatch@carib-export.com. All material copyright 2012 Caribbean Export TradeWatch is made possible through the kind support of the European Union. 10 Tradewatch The Official E-Newsletter of the Caribbean Export Development Agency Vol. 5 No. 3 September-October, 2012