Caricom’s 35th COTED meeting is urging the United States to engage early with Caribbean rum-producing nations with a view to continuing competitive access for their rums to US markets as the large subsidies they have granted to multinational producers threaten regional economies.
At a two-day meeting held earlier in the week, the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) said rum production and export are critical to the social and economic well-being of the Region.
In addition to being the largest agriculture-based export industry in Caricom, the rum industry is a substantial employer and a major contributor to