FREIGHT FEARS

CARIBBEAN businesses are pressing the United States to permanently exempt the region from maritime fees that could send freight costs soaring by as much as 60 per cent, fearing that concessions secured last year could be reversed as Washington continues its trade negotiations with China.

The charges, intended to curb China’s dominance in shipbuilding and maritime logistics, have also placed Caribbean trade in the firing line, given the region’s reliance on Chinesebuilt vessels to transport goods to and from the United States.

Washington suspended the wider measures last November as part of a trade agreement with Beijing and is now considering a further two-month extension until January 9, 2027. The Caricom Private Sector Organisation (CPSO), however, wants the separate exemptions secured for Caribbean shipping in April 2025 made permanent, removing the risk of future policy changes driving up costs along some of the region’s busiest trade routes.