Saint Lucian manufacturers are being placed directly in front of international buyers as Export Saint Lucia intensifies efforts to secure new opportunities for locally made products in the United States.
Food, beverages, wellness products and other Saint Lucian specialties recently took centre stage at two major events — the Caribbean Rum and Food Festival in Massachusetts and the Americas Food and Beverage Show in Miami.
The push went beyond showcasing products, giving local manufacturers direct access to consumers, distributors and potential buyers while generating valuable feedback on what it takes to compete in foreign markets.
The Caribbean Rum and Food Festival, held in Boston on September 12, introduced Saint Lucian products to consumers in Massachusetts, including members of the Caribbean diaspora.
Days later, the focus shifted to the Americas Food and Beverage Show, held from September 14 to 16 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The international trade event connects food and beverage companies with buyers, distributors and other industry players seeking commercial relationships across the Americas.
For Export Saint Lucia, the engagements form part of a broader strategy to help local businesses move beyond the domestic market and develop internationally competitive brands.
Chief Executive Officer Sunita Daniel said the value of that exposure is ultimately measured by what happens after the exhibitions end. She said Export Saint Lucia wants local businesses to be “not only seen” but placed in environments where they can build relationships with buyers, understand international market requirements and convert those connections into export opportunities. According to Daniel, the events provide manufacturers with “direct access to people and markets that would otherwise be difficult for many of them to reach.”
As Saint Lucia’s national trade export and promotion agency, Export Saint Lucia supports businesses seeking to enter regional and international markets. That assistance can be particularly important for smaller manufacturers with competitive products but limited resources, market intelligence or overseas networks.
Recent results have demonstrated how those connections can translate into business.
In 2025, Tolyn Manufacturers Ltd., Natmed Ltd. and Tenderoni Foods Inc. secured a joint container shipment to a major distributor in Dominica following an Export Saint Lucia regional trade mission.
The latest U.S. engagements are intended to build another pipeline of opportunities while giving manufacturers firsthand market intelligence that can influence packaging, pricing, presentation and positioning.
Daniel said getting a Saint Lucian product onto a shelf in a new market “can be transformational,” creating opportunities for increased production, additional employment and foreign exchange earnings while demonstrating that locally made products can compete internationally.
She said Export Saint Lucia’s role is to help businesses make the transition “from having a good local product to building an export-ready, internationally competitive brand.”
The engagements also gave members of the diaspora and wider audiences an opportunity to experience products reflecting Saint Lucia’s diversity and flavour.
