BARBADOS AGENDA FOR APRIL 12 CARICOM-USTR MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 000628

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR AND EB/TPP/BTA
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR VIONDETTE LOPEZ

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2016
TAGS: ETRD PGOV PREL PINR XL
SUBJECT: BARBADOS AGENDA FOR APRIL 12 CARICOM-USTR MEETING

Classified By: Ambassador Mary Kramer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Ambassador Kramer exchanged views with Barbados
Foreign Minister Dame Billie Miller at an April 7 Diplomatic
Corps breakfast at the Hilton Hotel. At the Foreign
Minister's request, the Ambassador sat next to her to discuss
the upcoming April 12 United States Trade Representative
(USTR) meeting with select CARICOM trade ministers.
According to Miller, who plans to attend the April 12
meeting, "The most important item on the agenda is the WTO
waiver required to continue the Caribbean Basin Initiative
(CBI)." The Minister remarked that India, Pakistan, and
China are opposed to the waiver extension, but the region
must have it. She suggested CARICOM diplomats had plans to
reach out to the three opposing embassies in Washington to
try to mitigate the opposition.


2. (C) Recognizing that obtaining a WTO waiver for the CBI
may not be high on the U.S. agenda and that the U.S. may not
want to spend any energy or political capital on this issue,
Miller plans to make the extension her centerpiece for the
USTR/CARICOM meeting discussion. She said the banana-growing
countries will make the banana growers' desire for USG
intervention their centerpiece. Miller sees the April 12
meeting as a very fruitful outcome of the March 21-22 CARICOM
Foreign Ministers' meeting with the Secretary of State.
Miller remarked that CARICOM has been trying to get this
meeting with USTR for some time. (Note: Post is unaware of
any previous CARICOM request for such a meeting. End Note.)
KRAMER