Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Honourable Gaston Browne, has issued a measured response to recent comments made by Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar regarding CARICOM and Antigua and Barbuda’s engagement with international partners, reaffirming his government’s commitment to regional integration, mutual respect, and fact-based dialogue.
In a statement released on Sunday, Prime Minister Browne emphasized that Antigua and Barbuda has consistently respected the sovereign right of every CARICOM member state to conduct its bilateral relations as it sees fit. At the same time, he underscored that no member should challenge the legitimacy of another CARICOM state engaging responsibly and transparently with international partners, including the United States, particularly on matters that directly affect its citizens.
Addressing assertions that CARICOM has been an unreliable partner to Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Browne pointed to trade data that he said tell a different story. In 2024, Trinidad and Tobago earned more than US$1.1 billion in foreign exchange from trade with CARICOM, including approximately US$784.7 million in domestic exports and US$501.3 million in re-exports to CARICOM states. CARICOM was Trinidad and Tobago’s second-largest export market that year, surpassed only by the United States.
He noted that this trade relationship has been heavily skewed in Trinidad and Tobago’s favour, with the country recording the largest merchandise trade surplus within CARICOM. Trinidad and Tobago, he said, has been the only member state to maintain a net positive trade balance with the Community consistently since CARICOM’s establishment in 1973.
Prime Minister Browne further explained that this outcome has been supported by the Common External Tariff, under which CARICOM states apply protective duties on extra-regional imports in order to support Trinidad and Tobago’s manufacturing sector. In 2024 alone, CARICOM countries collectively forfeited an estimated US$142.7 million in customs revenue by sourcing goods from Trinidad and Tobago under CET protections—an economic cost borne by Caribbean consumers in the spirit of regional solidarity.
Beyond trade, the Prime Minister highlighted CARICOM’s role in supporting Trinidad and Tobago’s security efforts. He noted that the country faces some of the highest levels of organized crime in the region, and that regional cooperation through CARICOM security mechanisms, intelligence sharing, and coordinated law-enforcement initiatives has been a critical part of addressing those challenges. Antigua and Barbuda, he said, has consistently supported these collective security efforts.
Prime Minister Browne rejected claims that Antigua and Barbuda’s leadership has made disparaging remarks about the United States, describing such assertions as unfounded. He said no evidence has been presented because none exists, and stressed that Antigua and Barbuda maintains a strong record of cooperation with the United States on security, immigration, and multilateral engagement through bodies such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States.
He emphasized that respectful dialogue with international partners should not be mistaken for subservience, just as regional consultation should not be portrayed as disloyalty. Antigua and Barbuda, he said, will continue to engage the United States openly and responsibly while remaining fully committed to CARICOM and to the principles of sovereignty, dignity, and mutual respect that underpin Caribbean integration.
Prime Minister Browne concluded by warning against rhetoric that risks division within the region, noting that Caribbean cooperation has long been rooted in shared history, shared struggle, and the understanding that small states are stronger when they act together.
