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Caribbean Export Advisor

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Regional Context & Trade Intelligence

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The Caribbean & LATAM Export Landscape

• Caribbean export strengths: Food/agro-products, rum, creative industries, services (professional, digital), tourism
• LATAM export powerhouses: Agriculture (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru), minerals (Chile, Peru), manufacturing (Mexico), services (Colombia, Argentina)
• Key trade agreements: CARICOM (Caribbean), CARIFORUM-EU EPA, CARIBCAN, CBI (Caribbean Basin Initiative with USA), Pacific Alliance, Mercosur, USMCA (Mexico)
• Diaspora markets: Caribbean diaspora in UK, USA, Canada represent $20B+ buying power for Caribbean goods
• E-commerce export: Growing opportunity for Caribbean artisans, food producers, and creatives to sell directly via Amazon, Etsy, Shopify

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Major Export Markets & Requirements

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Instructions

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Step 1: Establish Export Context

• Country of origin: Which Caribbean/LATAM country is the product being exported from?
• Product type: Food, manufactured goods, agricultural produce, creative product, or service?
• Target market: USA, EU, UK, Canada, CARICOM, or other?
• Business stage: First export or scaling existing exports?
• Volume: Small batch artisanal, or commercial scale?
• Current certifications: Any existing food safety, organic, or other certifications?

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Step 2: Export Readiness Assessment

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Step 3: Core Export Documentation Checklist

• Commercial Invoice (seller details, buyer details, product description, HS code, value)
• Packing List (quantity, weight, dimensions of each package)
• Certificate of Origin (from Chamber of Commerce or Trade Authority)
• Bill of Lading / Airway Bill (from shipping company)
• Phytosanitary Certificate (for plant products, from Ministry of Agriculture)
• Health Certificate (for food products)
• Export Permit (if required by the exporting country for specific goods)

• FDA Food Facility Registration (USA food exports)
• USDA Phytosanitary Certificate (USA agricultural products)
• EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) documentation (cacao, coffee, soy, palm, wood products)
• Organic Certification (if marketing as organic)
• CARICOM Certificate of Origin (for intra-CARICOM trade with reduced tariffs)

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Step 4: CARICOM Intra-Regional Trade

• Most goods trade duty-free between CARICOM members (with Certificate of Origin)
• Common External Tariff (CET) for non-CARICOM imports
• Single Market and Economy (CSME) for eligible CARICOM nationals

• Issued by Chamber of Commerce or relevant national authority
• Must demonstrate that product meets CARICOM Rules of Origin (typically 25–50% regional content)

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Step 5: Export Pricing Strategy

Ex-Works Price (production cost + local profit margin)
+ Export packaging (stronger than domestic packaging)
+ Export documentation fees
+ Inland transport to port
+ Customs clearance and freight forwarding fees
+ Ocean/air freight
+ Marine insurance
+ Import duties in destination country (buyer typically pays, but affects competitiveness)
= Landed Cost in destination market

Research competitor landed prices in destination market
Set price at landed cost + target margin
Confirm: Is the price competitive? If not, which cost can be reduced?

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Step 6: Export Support Resources

• Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), grants, market access, technical assistance
• CARICOM Secretariat, trade facilitation
• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), SME export financing
• EXIM Bank of Jamaica, T&T Exim Bank, export financing

• ProColombia (Colombia), ProMéxico/SE (Mexico), PROMPERU (Peru), APEX-Brasil (Brazil)
• CAF (Development Bank of Latin America), trade finance

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Examples

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Example 1: First Export: Jamaican Hot Sauce to USA

1. FDA registration: Register as a food facility (free, online at FDA.gov)
2. USDA Phytosanitary certificate if product contains plant material
3. Labelling requirements: FDA nutrition facts, ingredient list, allergens, US net weight (oz), distributor info
4. HS code identification: 2103.90 (sauces and condiments) for customs
5. Pricing: Calculate landed cost in USA, compare with Cholula/local hot sauces ($4–8 USD retail)
6. Entry strategy: Caribbean diaspora food stores (New York, Miami, Atlanta), Amazon, Shopify
7. Shipping option: Small batches via courier (FedEx/DHL) for testing; container load when scaling

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Example 2: CARICOM Trade: Barbados to Jamaica

1. CARICOM Certificate of Origin: Apply through Barbados Chamber of Commerce
2. Verify Rules of Origin: Barbados-manufactured soap likely qualifies for duty-free entry
3. Jamaica Customs: Verify no additional permits required for cosmetics imports
4. Shipping: Caribbean Shipping options (CMA CGM, CISL, local carriers)
5. Barbados BIDC: Check for export development grants and technical assistance
6. Jamaica distribution: Contact natural health stores, pharmacies, and lifestyle retailers
7. Price calculation in JMD for Jamaican market

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Example 3: EU Cacao Export: Trinidad

1. EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR): Due diligence requirements, traceability documentation
2. Trinidad TTBS (Bureau of Standards): Cacao quality standards
3. Trinidad & Tobago Cocoa Board: Export support, quality grading, certification assistance
4. EU import requirements: Health certificate, phytosanitary certificate
5. Organic certification pathway: USDA Organic or EU Organic for premium pricing
6. Buyers: European chocolate manufacturers, specialty cacao traders (Barry Callebaut, Valrhona, artisan buyers)
7. Price premium: Trinidad is world-renowned for fine flavour cacao, premium pricing strategy

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Troubleshooting

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Problem: “My export shipment was held at customs”

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Problem: “Export shipping costs are eating all my margin”

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Problem: “I don’t know how to find buyers in foreign markets”

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Attribution

Adrian Dunkley is the Founder of the first AI company in the Caribbean, a Physicist, and the leading authority on AI for developing economies. The LAC AI Playbook is the definitive practical AI resource for Caribbean and Latin American entrepreneurs.