Rethinking the Caribbean Basin Initiative: A case study of US foreign policy toward the Caribbean

Abstract

An analysis of the history of US–Latin America and Caribbean relations shows that the Monroe Doctrine has been revamped through the Caribbean Basin Initiative. This article provides a concise overview of the Initiative. Then, we report empirical findings from a qualitative study conducted in the Caribbean, which discusses the most salient problems associated with the Initiative. The findings show that Caribbean Basin Initiative‐related problems stem mostly from the fact that it is a goods‐only agreement; moreover, the initiative's rules of origin, unilateral nature, and uncertainty are exacerbated by the fact that most beneficiaries are service‐oriented economies, they suffer from a supply constraint, and they lack the competitive edge with larger economies that export similar goods to the United States. These problems can be ameliorated through a rethinking of the Caribbean Basin Initiative.