Director-General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Dr. Didacus Jules, has issued a stark warning about what he describes as a “polycrisis” facing small island developing states, as global economic and political dynamics continue to shift rapidly. His remarks were delivered during the 6th Council of Ministers of Trade meeting, where he highlighted the vulnerabilities of the Eastern Caribbean in the face of mounting global uncertainties.
“We are at a very critical juncture in global economic history,” Jules declared. “We are at an inflection point of tectonic shifts in the world’s geopolitical and trade architecture.”
According to the OECS head, member states now face a convergence of crises economic, environmental, technological, and geopolitical that are compounding and intensifying one another. He referred to this phenomenon as a “polycrisis,” warning that it is eroding the ability of small island economies to adapt or respond effectively.
“Each [crisis] is amplifying the other, leaving small island states like ours with vanishing margins for maneuver,” he explained.
A major catalyst in the shifting trade environment, Dr. Jules said, is the return to power of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose “America First” economic agenda has already begun reshaping global trade policies. “The recent return to power of President Donald Trump and the acceleration of the America First trade doctrine is the latest tremor in this landscape,” he stated. “And its implications are not abstract.”
Dr. Jules pointed to a concrete example of these changes with the April 9 decision by the United States to impose a 10 percent tariff on all goods entering its market from OECS member states. “For decades, we have benefited from unilateral, duty-free access under various preferential regimes,” he said. “That era is being dismantled with little warning, little consultation, and little consideration for vulnerable economies like ours.”
He stressed that these decisions are not simply political whims, but part of deeper structural shifts in global economic policy. “These developments are rooted in discontent with trade deficits, perceived imbalances in the WTO system, and the global competition for dominance in emerging sectors and technologies,” Dr. Jules noted.
The Director-General’s remarks underscore a growing urgency among OECS leaders to recalibrate their economic strategies amid increasingly volatile international conditions. He warned that unless swift and coordinated action is taken, the economic sovereignty and stability of the region may be at serious risk.
The Council of Ministers of Trade is expected to use the forum to develop regional strategies for mitigating these challenges and reinforcing the resilience of OECS economies in the face of global upheaval.
