Historical diplomatic solidarity must be reinforced by dynamic commercial enterprise, private-sector investment, and deep economic integration, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ (SVG) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble, has told potential investors from Taiwan.
Bramble, who is also minister of diaspora affairs, outlined his government’s policy as he addressed the 2026 St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trade and Investment Opportunity Seminar in Taipei on Wednesday.
Bramble was a member of a delegation led by Prime Minister Godwin Friday on an official visit to Taiwan as Kingstown and Taipei celebrated 45 years of diplomatic relations.
He said at the seminar that the 45-year-old diplomatic alliance between SVG and Taiwan was built on shared democratic principles, mutual respect, and solidarity.
“However, as the global economy undergoes rapid realignment and our administration, led by Prime Minister Dr Godwin Friday, implements a modern economic agenda, our bilateral partnership must evolve.”
The minister said that the seminar marks a structural shift in Kingstown’s bilateral strategy.
“We are moving beyond traditional technical assistance towards an actionable framework for co-prosperity,” he said.
The minister said that the inauguration of the Latin American and Caribbean Trade Office (LACTO) in Taipei – which, in July, expanded its mandate to include SVG – creates a permanent commercial platform linking East Asian capital with Caribbean markets.
He said that Kingstown, through its investment agency Invest SVG and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will operationalise a dedicated SVG Trade Desk within LACTO.
“This desk serves as an active commercial bridge, directly connecting Vincentian producers of high-value goods with Taiwanese importers and distributors, while providing a concierge interface for Taiwanese private enterprises seeking secure investment opportunities in SVG.”
Bramble said SVG’s economic policy is deeply integrated into the regional trade architecture.
“St. Vincent and the Grenadines is not merely a single market; we are an established gateway to the broader CARICOM Single Market and Economy. By establishing manufacturing and processing operations in SVG, Taiwanese enterprises gain duty-free, nearshore market access across regional and hemispheric trade networks,” he explained.
The minister of foreign investment said the government’s objective is to ensure that its diplomatic networks yield measurable economic opportunities, provide absolute legal security for capital, and foster private sector growth.
The trade platforms and investment frameworks presented today are designed to de-risk investment and accelerate capital deployment,” he said.
“We invite the private sector leaders in attendance today to view St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a strategic commercial destination. We offer institutional stability, trade connectivity, and an administration dedicated to commercial execution.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of Invest SVG and Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister, Ambassador Kevin Hope, delivered a presentation outlining the specific investment opportunities in SVG.
He said the country has a business climate built for investors characterised by fiscal incentives and tax holidays; export and industrial relief; hospitality and tourism incentives; streamlined land and property acquisition; currency stability; human capital; and demographic opportunity.
He said the government’s priority growth and investment sectors are high-value agribusiness and food processing, including Vincyfresh Ltd. and the arrowroot and starch industry; luxury tourism, hospitality and prime real estate; and maritime infrastructure, port free zones and yachting, including Ottley Hall Marina and Shipyard, with port free zones expanding export capabilities through Kingstown and Campden Park ports, and government plans to establish a free port/zone at Campden Park Container Port.
Hope also outlined opportunities in renewable energy, grid decarbonisation and e-mobility; fisheries and the blue economy; information and communication technology, business process outsourcing and digital services; and international financial services.
“St. Vincent and the Grenadines is open for business, ready for investment, and structured for partnership. We offer an agile, transparent business climate with direct access to decision-makers and seamless trade access across Caribbean and international markets. We seek strategic partners who bring technology, industrial expertise, and long-term vision,” Hope said.