CARICOM: History

1972 At the Seventh Heads of Government Conference, Commonwealth Caribbean leaders decide to transform the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) into a Common Market and establish the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

July 4,1973 The Chaguaramas Treaty, which established the Caribbean Community, is signed.

1989 Heads of Government decide to transform the Common Market into a single market and economy in which factors move freely; thus to revise the existing Treaty.

1992 An Intergovernmental Task Force is established to work on the revision of the Treaty.

October 1992 CARICOM and Venezuela sign a one-way preferential trade agreement.

1994 CARICOM and The Republic of Colombia sign a trade, economic and technical cooperation agreement.

August 22,1998 CARICOM and Dominican Republic sign a free trade agreement.

July 5,2000 CARICOM signs a Partial Scope Agreement with Cuba.

2001 The heads of government sign a Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

January 19,2001 Canada and CARICOM announce their intention to initiate discussions towards a possible Canada-CARICOM free trade agreement.

March 9,2004 After three rounds of negotiation, CARICOM and Costa Rica sign a free trade agreement in Jamaica.

2005 13 of the 15 CARICOM countries sign the Petrocaribe, an oil alliance with Venezuela which permits them to purchase oil on conditions of preferential payment.

February 2005 CARICOM and MERCOSUR member states (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) meet and express their intentions to sign a free trade agreement.

May 2007 CARICOM and Central American Integration System (SICA) hold a Preparatory Meeting regarding a free trade agreement.

July 19,2007 CARICOM and Canada launch negotiations for a free trade agreement.

2010 The U.S. extends the life of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) by 10 years through 2020 which helps secure access for Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

2011 The Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network (CKLN), an intergovernmental agency of CARICOM, secures a grant of 10 million euros from the European Union to develop a broadband fiber optic network which allows Caribbean citizens to upgrade and diversify their skills and knowledge through the increase of collaboration and connectivity throughout the region.