The Government of Saint Lucia through Export Saint Lucia in close collaboration with the International Trade Centre and CARICOM Development Fund will on February 18 launch Saint Lucia’s 2020-2024 National Export Strategy. The Strategy, described by National Export Council Chairperson Mrs. Marguerite Desir as “A roadmap to the growth and development of Saint Lucia’s Export portfolio,” has been two years in the making and involved more than 250 stakeholders from the private and public sectors.

The National Export Strategy (NES) is a policy document which articulates activities related to improving Saint Lucia's export performance over the period 2020-2024. It highlights areas where Saint Lucia is deemed to have comparative and competitive advantages and provides meaningful development strategies aimed at propelling these industries into international markets.

The strategy’s vision – “Uniquely Saint Lucian with global appeal” – expresses the expected outcome of the many actions and interventions to be undertaken by the Government offices, affiliates and Statutory Boards, under the guidance of the implementing Agency, Export Saint Lucia. The NES – with recommendations on how to foster innovation, investment and seize market opportunities – is designed to position small and medium-sized enterprises and trade issues at the forefront of the country’s policy agenda.

Minister for Commerce Hon. Bradley Felix said that “The NES provides a unique window of opportunity for Saint Lucia to modernize and start a new cycle of export growth. The strategy advocates a multifaceted approach that incorporates the thoughts of relevant stakeholders from the public and private sector and builds on consensus from the entire export community about what is needed to boost the country’s export performance”.

Export Saint Lucia CEO Sunita Daniel stated that “The NES is an invaluable tool which will lead the way to the continued elevation of Saint Lucia as an export leader in the region. Every sector, planned intervention, policy to be debated and activity to be coordinated was penned through a meticulously inclusive process that took the Nation, the exporters, the buyers, the environment and all other factors affecting trade into consideration.”

The International Trade Centre was instrumental in the development of the NES by providing expert advice and methodological support. ITC director and Chief Economist Ms. Marion Jansen stated, “I am delighted that ITC has accompanied Saint Lucia to set an ambitious roadmap to improve its business environment and transform its export industry by fostering the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises”.

The first NES was established in 2004 and focused on the capacity of the country to produce and offer to its many export partners, the commodities and services that were in demand at that time. Fast forward to 2020, with global preferences changing, demand versus supply and the requirement to meet customer demands, there was a need to reassess and redesign the process, leading to the development of Saint Lucia’s National Export Strategy 2020.

Export Saint Lucia will launch the National Export Strategy on Tuesday 18th February 2020, and with that will come a more streamlined approach to Saint Lucia’s export development.