Caribbean Islands » International Relations

The Caribbean Islands Relations with International Community

The Caribbean relations with the United States, Britain, and Canada traditionally have been of chief importance and have existed at the political, commercial, and personal levels. After World War II, the United States, Britain, and Canada all provided economic support to Jamaica through international organizations, private investments, and support of the idea of West Indian federation.

The Dominican Republic has a close relationship with the United States and with other states of the Inter-American system. It has attributed diplomatic missions in most Western Hemisphere countries and in principal European capitals. Although Dominican relations with its closest neighbour, the Republic of Haiti, have never been broad, this has begun to change under President Fernandez's administration. Growing immigration from and political instability in Haiti have forced the Dominican Republic to take a closer look at relations with its neighbours.

Trade and Investment with UK

The DR (Dominican Republic) is a central market within the Caribbean and represents a small but important growth market for the UK. The value of exports to the DR in 2005 was £52 million and the value of imports from the DR was £52 million.

Principal UK exports are beverages, clothing, dairy products, chemicals and related products, road vehicles and industrial machinery. In addition to promoting industrial investment opportunities in the Industrial Free Zones (IFZs), the DR government also offers considerable incentives for investment in the tourism sector. There are major opportunities for UK companies to invest in the tourism industry either individually or on a joint scheme basis with local private sector hotel operators.