Caribbean Chamber of Commerce launching in Europe

Caribbean-based com-panies will soon have an alternative gateway to the continent at a time when Britain takes steps toward its exit from the European Union (EU).

This as the newly founded Caribbean Chamber of Commerce in Europe (CCCE) is expected to be opening its doors soon with the aim of promoting trade and commerce between the wider Caribbean and the United Kingdom/Europe and attracting European investment to strengthen the Caribbean economy.

The Fourth CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum, held in Frankfurt, Germany last September, identified the need for an independent, non-politically aligned, private sector body to provide market information and logistical support for business development in Europe.

Anthony Bradshaw, Officer-in-Charge of the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), said “it will strengthen business networks and foster a closer trade and investment relationship between the Caribbean and the EU.”

With the UK’s departure from the EU, the new chamber in Brussels offers an alternative springboard to London, in particular for Caribbean Community (CARICOM)-based ventures, into a more diverse European market.

In the build-up to its official launch, the Chamber is currently reaching out to other regional and trade organizations and is planning to work with major public and private stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic, who can build the partnerships needed to foster Euro-Caribbean trade and commerce.

The multilateral, nonprofit, business organisation, will be joining the cluster of chambers of commerce based at Brussels Enterprises Commerce and Industry (BECI), which will expand the scope of its networks, while widening its base, enabling it to operate effectively from the capital of the EU.