Barbados to host AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Export Barbados (BIDC) and Invest Barbados is hosting the inaugural AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2022) from September 1 – 3, 2022 in Bridgetown, Barbados. Promoted under the theme – ‘One People. One Destiny. Uniting and Reimagining Our Future,’ the event is intended to help strengthen relations between the private sectors of the two regions to advance trade and investment.

The keynote speaker is Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

According to the release, the Forum will focus on business-to-business engagements and panel discussions on several topics, including:

§  accelerating industrialization and manufacturing;

§  developing special economic zones (SEZs) and industrial parks;

§  improving infrastructure, financing and trade logistics, including regional integration;

§  creating the conditions to accelerate private sector investment;

§  promoting trade and tourism; and

§  improving agricultural productivity and expanding agribusiness opportunities and food security.

750 delegates from Africa and the Caribbean, including government and private sector officials from both regions, as well as investors, development partners, and trade support institutions are expected to participate.

The Forum Objectives include:

§  promoting inter-bank relationships including fostering payment and financial flow

§  developing creative and cultural engagements that can be commercially viable;

creating a business case for a potential AfriCaribbean Free Trade Area;

§  promoting trade and investment between Africa and the Caribbean by serving as a platform for market identification, building business partnerships, exchange of trade and market information, co-investments, etc.;

§  facilitating AfriCaribbean investments by fostering cross-regional business and investment linkages;

§  serving as a platform for disseminating trade and investment information and other products and initiatives of the Bank that support trade between Africa and Africans in the diaspora; and

§  reducing counterpart risk perception among African and Caribbean businesses in dealing with themselves.

For enquiries or to become a sponsor contact: africaribbeanbar@investbarbados.org