Workshop Equips Vincentians to Pursue New Trade Opportunities 

By S.Browne. Updated 12:13 p.m., Friday, July 24, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

A four-day workshop has strengthened the skills of trade officials, business support organisations and service providers in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, as the country works to improve its ability to take advantage of opportunities in the growing services sector.

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Specialised National Services Sector Training Workshop was held from July 20 to 23, 2026, at the National Insurance Services Conference Room in Kingstown, bringing together stakeholders involved in trade, business support and services.

The workshop focused on strengthening participants’ understanding of how services can be traded locally, regionally and internationally, with the aim of improving the support available to businesses and service providers seeking to access new markets.

For Vincentian entrepreneurs, professionals and businesses, stronger knowledge among trade officials and support organisations can help improve guidance on navigating regional and international trade requirements, particularly in an economy where services continue to play an important role.

During the opening ceremony, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and Diaspora Affairs, Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble, said the Government remains committed to creating opportunities that support business development.

“The Government will continue to provide opportunities and create the space necessary to demonstrate our commitment to being a business government,” Bramble said.

The Minister also encouraged participants to provide feedback, noting that businesses and individuals are central to trade.

“We also encourage your feedback, as governments do not trade; it is individuals, organisations and businesses that do. Your input is therefore critical to ensuring that we continue to provide the support you need,” Bramble added.

OECS Commission representative Delores Francis said the initiative was part of the organisation’s efforts to strengthen the capacity of Member States to participate more effectively in the services economy.

“This workshop forms part of the OECS Commission’s continued commitment to supporting our Member States through capacity building, the provision of practical tools, and the enhancement of the technical skills of trade policy professionals, services sector officials, business support organisations, service suppliers, and other key stakeholders,” Francis said.

She explained that the training would help participants better understand trade commitments and use them to identify commercial opportunities.

“More importantly, to translate the commitments of the Revised Treaty of Basseterre into meaningful commercial opportunities,” Francis said.

Over the four-day workshop, participants engaged in practical sessions facilitated by OECS Commission consultant Audel Cunningham.

Topics covered included trade in services within the OECS and CARICOM, regulatory reform, international trade in services policy, services negotiations, services statistics and classification, World Trade Organization (WTO) disciplines on domestic regulation, and e-commerce and digital trade.

The workshop concluded on Thursday, July 23, with a sensitisation session focused on market intelligence for the services sector and the concept of servicification of manufacturing, the growing integration of services into manufacturing processes and products.

The Foreign Trade Department within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and Diaspora Affairs said the initiative forms part of ongoing efforts by the OECS Commission to strengthen institutional capacity and improve the competitiveness of the  services sector across Member States.

The Ministry said it remains committed to working with regional and international partners to build national capacity, promote services-led growth, and position Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to benefit from emerging opportunities in regional and international trade.

END