The Obama Administration
Possible prospects for
US-Caribbean Relations

Issues
• Security: Narcotics, Immigration & Homeland
Defence
• Trade
• Tax havens
• Cuba
• Haiti
• Regional/ Hemispheric Issues

Security: Narcotics, Immigration &
Homeland Defence
• Decertification Scheme (DR, Haiti, & Jamaica)
• US ShipRider Agreement, 1996 (sovereignty –
Barbados, Jamaica),
• Western Hemispheric Travel Initiative (tourism)
• Deportee problem (Bridgetown Accord, 1997 – link
between trade, economic development, security &
prosperity)

Trade
• Free Trade and WTO Rules (Internet Gambling
decisions, Banana Dispute) Neoliberal out look
• CBI (CBERA/CBTPA) (“CARICOM accounts for 1/5 of US trade,”
Thomas McLarty, Clinton Admin.)
• FTAA (Stalled due to issues with “smallness”)
• CAFTA-DR and CARICOM-DR and the proposed US-
CARICOM Bilateral
• Protectionism (outsourcing, Congressional Approval, and DNC)

Tax Havens
• OECD Report: “Harmful Tax Competition: An Emerging
Global issue”, 1998 (Blacklist)
• G20 London Summit (no voice from the small
states, hence the UN summit in June 2009)
• Candidate Obama supported regulation of OFCs

Cuba
• Unrestricted travel, aid by Cuban-Americans to Cuba
(still restricts non-natural persons and non-nationals)
• Possible end to Embargo and normalizing relations
• Re-admission into the OAS Activities

Haiti
• Wet foot/ Dry foot policy for Haitian Boat People
(30, 000 up for deportation Q1 2009)
• HOPE II (unilateral trade agreement – includes
textiles)
• Assistance to Haiti (USD 324m, but more is needed)

Regional/ Hemispheric Issues
• Challenge to US hegemony: ALBA, PetroCaribe, China
& Russia
• Special Envoy for the Caribbean
• US-CARICOM Summit Dialogue
• No regional summit to discuss concept paper by
CARICOM
• Drowning out of the Caribbean Position by LA
• 5th SOA – No Plan, but listening exercise

Questions

Thank You
Contact:
Emerson O. Bryan
Information & Document Management Officer
Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery
emerson.bryan@crnm.org
Tel: +1246 259 9222 Fax: +1246 228 9528