From our vantage point as members of the Caribbean diaspora in Canada navigating the turbulent economic currents caused by recent US tariffs, we view with deep concern the parallel upheavals that are being faced in our Caribbean homelands.

As economies in our homelands grapple with US-imposed tariffs, now at ten percent, but who know what it will be tomorrow, the familiar waves of economic vulnerability threaten once again to destabilise our fragile shores.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump introduced sweeping tariffs affecting most global trading partners, explicitly aimed at boosting US domestic manufacturing. Employing rhetoric heavy with confrontation, Trump characterised international trade practices as having left the US “looted, pillaged, raped, and plundered”.

This stark language, while provocative domestically, ironically glosses over the historical experience of our Caribbean homelands, whose economies were genuinely shaped by centuries of European imperialism that plundered our wealth, destabilised societies, and entrenched economic dependence that continues to this day.

Caribbean leaders have since responded cautiously yet proactively. Both Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago have emphasised diplomatic engagement. In Barbados, its leaders are exploring global supply chains more aggressively, are examining the Common External Tariff to enhance regional trade, and are actively seeking partnerships within Africa and Latin America.

These approaches align closely with the broader vision articulated by Barbados PM Mia Mottley and Chair of Caricom. She warns us that the Caribbean, still bearing colonial legacies of economic fragility, faces unprecedented risks from these tariffs.

Emphasising regional solidarity, she insists Caribbean nations must urgently unite, engage diplomatically at the highest levels with the US, and accelerate efforts to diversify economically by increasing regional agricultural production and local manufacturing capacities.

Critics of a unified regional response might argue that individual bilateral negotiations with the US could yield better outcomes for specific countries. Yet, historical evidence clearly demonstrates otherwise.

As Mottley points out, Caribbean economic history underscores that fragmented negotiations invariably weaken collective bargaining power. The Caribbean Basin Initiative in the 1980s under former US President Ronald Reagan, for example, achieved significant success precisely because it represented a cohesive, regional stance. Together we stand, in this case, is pragmatically essential.

Others might contend that genuine economic diversification and increased regional self-reliance are idealistic and impractical given the structural limitations of our Caribbean economies.

However, recent initiatives within Caricom already demonstrate tangible successes. Investments in agricultural projects, and promising regional ventures into manufacturing underscore a capacity to achieve economic resilience despite long-standing vulnerabilities.

As members of the diaspora acutely aware of our homelands’ economic fragility, we call on our Caribbean leaders to prioritise regional unity and solidarity as foundational principles moving forward.

Diplomatic engagement with the US must be pursued collectively, emphasising the negligible threat Caribbean economies realistically pose to US interests. Simultaneously, Caribbean governments must intensify investment in intra-regional trade and local industries while diversifying economic partnerships globally, especially with Africa, Latin America, and Europe.

Navigating these turbulent economic waters will not be easy, but Caribbean history is replete with examples of our resilience and reinvention. We have done it before, and can again weather this storm and emerge stronger.

As the Caribbean diaspora, we remain connected, supportive, and ready to advocate, mindful that even as we navigate similar uncertainty in Canada, that the strength and stability of our homelands still matter deeply to us all.