In Episode 15 of Season 3 of the Caribbean Business Review, Joseph Cox speaks with Ainsley Brown, Knowledge Advisor at the World Free Zones Organization, on whether the Caribbean’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) can move from fragmented participation to strategic positioning in global trade.

The discussion explores nearshoring, supply chain realignment, and the region’s role in global value chains—highlighting why the Caribbean is under-scaled, not underperforming, and what must change to attract higher-value investment.

This episode also examines key constraints, including energy reliability, logistics costs, skills gaps, and the need for stronger regional coordination, with insights drawn from markets such as the Dominican Republic.

In the CBR Briefing, we assess whether the Caribbean beauty industry can transition from fragmented activity to a globally competitive export sector.

We also address global shipping disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz and the Panama Canal, and what rising logistics costs mean for import-dependent Caribbean economies.

Strategic Takeaways:
• Execution—not design—is the binding constraint
• Competitiveness depends on integrated systems, not incentives
• Skills, resilience, and data will define the next growth phase