THE region’s manufacturers’ associations are working on medium to long-term growth strategies that target an increase of up to 30 percent in that sector’s contribution to economic growth in their respective countries.

The countries that are members of the Caribbean Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) – Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia and Dominica – anticipate a sizeable increase in jobs once the sector expands exports to regional and international markets.
“A realistic medium-term goal is to grow this contribution to 5-10% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and in the longer term, through sustained policy support and diversification efforts, to achieve 10-20% of GDP,” said Ramsay Ali, immediate past President of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) and current CMA President.
For potential investors considering a project in the region, Ali stressed that the Caribbean is no longer just a market for consumption, but is a strategic location for production.
He said: “We have the raw materials, access to duty-free trade through CARICOM, the EU, and beyond, and an increasingly skilled workforce.
“As President of the CMA, I welcome investors to partner with our manufacturers. whether in agro-processing, construction inputs, light manufacturing, or renewable energy equipment. We’re ready and we’re open for business.”

The Manufacturing Sector Report in the 2025 edition of Caribbean Business & Travel features the Presidents of the six manufacturers’ associations in the region. It identifies investment opportunities in manufacturing in each of the CMA member countries.
“Given the challenging and rapidly changing global trading environment, we decided it was time to throw the spotlight, once again, on the vast potential of the region’s manufacturing sector and the scope for much-needed new investment. We also feature CARICOM’s regional and international trade agreements,” said Editor Sandra Ann Baptiste, who is the Chief Executive Consultant of Caribbean Signature, a Florida-based consulting, communications and training group.
Ali, who is also Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sterling Products Limited, had said: “Guyana’s manufacturing companies are positioning themselves to scale up and supply critical inputs to the country’s expanding infrastructure, housing, and logistics sectors. This creates new opportunities for both local and foreign investors to partner in building out the industrial supply chain that supports national development.”
TTMA President Dale Parson, the CEO of Kaleidoscope Paints, said the association has outlined a bold, multipronged strategy to grow Trinidad and Tobago’s non-energy exports from TT$6.2 billion to TT$10.6 billion by 2030.
Parson said: “The TTMA believes that ideally, the manufacturing sector would aim for 25-30% GDP contribution in the medium term, especially with continued government incentives and regional trade expansion.”
President of the Barbados Manufacturers Association (BMA), Rakeesh Bernard, said the association wants to see the sector increase its contribution to the country’s GDP from close to 6% to between 7% to 15%.
“This can be done by increasing the agro-processing aspect, improving value-added food and beverage manufacturing, as well as cosmetics, and advancing export diversification by engaging and expanding into new markets, and adopting digital trade and technological platforms,” said Bernard, Managing Director of Roberts Manufacturing.
Immediate Past President of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) Sydney Thwaites said investment opportunities in Jamaica’s manufacturing sector continues to grow, particularly in areas that support import substitution for items such as basic food products, packaging materials, cleaning agents and household products.
All of the Caribbean Manufacturer associations identified increasing trade missions and exploring regional and non-traditional markets, such as Panama, Colombia and Costa Rica, as a key strategy to drive exports.

“The three recent Jamaican trade missions to Georgetown were far from symbolic,” said Thwaites who is the CEO of Jamaica Lubricating Specialties.
Thwaites added: “The results have been both immediate and promising. Several Jamaican firms have already secured contracts, particularly in the construction and technology sectors, where Guyana’s infrastructure boom is generating strong demand for materials and services.”
The President of The Saint Lucia Manufacturers’ Association (SLMA), Marguerite Desir, who is the Chief Operating Officer of Harris Paints International, wants to see the manufacturing sector increase its contribution to GDP from 6% currently to 10%.

The Dominica Manufacturers Association President, John Robin, who is Managing Director of Benjo’s Seamoss and Agro Processing, said his association is drawing on the extensive experience of Trinidadian manufacturers in its drive to significantly increase production, including for bottled water, condiments, furniture and craft items.
The 2025 edition of the business publication also features a wide-ranging interview with the President if the Caribbean Development Bank, (CDB) Daniel M. Best.