@article{Felix:253708,
      recid = {253708},
      author = {Felix, Nkosi and Seepersad, Govind and Esnard, Randel and  Singh, Ranjit H.},
      title = {AN EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS ON  THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE CARICOM REGION},
      address = {2012},
      number = {536-2016-38539},
      pages = {14},
      year = {2012},
      abstract = {Following the creation of the World Trade Organization  agreement in 1994,
CARICOM entered into a number of other  Trade Agreements in order to increase the access  of
CARICOM's member states into foreign markets. These  agreements encouraged the sharing of
knowledge, removal of  tariffs and non tariff barriers towards the improvement of  each partner's
trade position. This study examined whether  there were gains or losses in CARICOM's  trade
competitiveness following the entry into effect of  two of these free trade agreements: (i)
CARICOM-Costa Rica,  (ii) CARICOM-Dominican Republic. The study utilized the  Relative
Comparative Advantage, Regional Orientation, Trade  Intensity and Trade Complementarity to
examine the  performance of major agricultural production segments, such  as Sugar, Edible Oils
and Textile products. These models  were used to assess the changes of trade between  partners
relative to the world, and also to determine which  trade agreement provided the greatest gains. The
study  examined the changes in performance over a nine (9)-year  period (2001-2010), and trends
for each of indices were  created. According to the study:
(i) CARICOM did not  benefit from the agreements signed with Dominican Republic  and Costa
Rica.
(ii) CARICOM maintained its Comparative  Advantage within the exported product groups
selected in  the study whereas no bias in trade was observed to  Dominican Republic and Costa
Rica markets.
(iii)Trade  Intensity from CARICOM to Costa Rica was shown to be  highest in the group of HS
0303 Crustaceans, while it  decreased in the other selected groups.
(iv)Trade potential  remained high throughout the period 2001/2010, thus showing  that
CARICOM's exports in the selected groups did not  capture any significant market shares in
either the  Dominican Republic or Costa Rica.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/253708},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.253708},
}