Monday, October 3, 2005
The European Union's Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson is urging Caribbean countries to end their historic dependence on trade preferences.
Mr. Mandelson told Caribbean trade ministers in St Lucia, decades of preferential access haven't boosted Caribbean exports to Europe, hadn't improved competitiveness, and may have actually hurt diversification.
He urged the countries of the region to end their economic dependence on single agricultural crops.
As the officials met, protests groups were busy organizing a demonstration against the planned removal of trade sweeteners for Caribbean sugar and banana exporters, which they believe it will put many farmers out of business.
Farmers from St Vincent, Dominica, Martinique, Trinidad and Guyana joined farmers from St Lucia at the protests.
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