Caribbean Trade Council

Antigua
Bahamas
Barbados
Cuba
Grenada
Guyana
Haiti
Jamaica
Trinidad /Tobago

Caribbean Trade Council
3155 Main Street
Hartford
Connecticut 06120

Tel. (860) 549-4282
Pager(860) 939-9998

Sponsors

to the Home of Hartford Caribbean Trade Council Inc. here we identify and promote business opportunities for importers, exporters and service providers between Metro Hartford and the Caribbean.

Our mission of the Caribbean Trade Council is to promote trade, tourism and economic cooperation between the Metro-Hartford and the Caribbean Islands.

Develop and strengthen relationships between the Caribbean islands and their Diaspora, who resides in the Metro Hartford Region. To encourage investment opportunities, while deepening a collaboration and facilitating the growth, of the City of Hartford’s economic development efforts with the Caribbean islands.

Jamaica Foreign Affairs & Trade Minister Visits Hartford, Urges Support

By Johnny Mason
Published on Saturday, April 24, 2009

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS & FOREIGN TRADE URGES

WEST INDIAN GROUP TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING JAMAICA

Ronald Robinson, a Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in Jamaica spoke at the West Indian Social Club of Hartford looking for people to help build the nation while revealing plans to mobilize the Jamaican Diaspora.

“It was very informative. This is the kind of information that helps everyone,” said Andrew Lawrence, president and director of the Caribbean Trade Council, Inc., which invited Robinson along with Consul General to New York, Geneive Brown Metzger, to speak at the Hartford club last week.

More than 150 came out to hear Robinson who spoke on Jamaica’s struggling economy, the creation of programs and efforts to improve issues such as education, healthcare and crime and efforts to mobilize the Jamaican Diaspora, or the dispersion of Jamaican people from their homeland.

Robinson praised the Hartford club for its rich history in providing a haven and for years ago helping the many Caribbean immigrants who came here looking for farm work. The club was founded in 1950 and its charitable foundation was formed by club members in 1978.

Robinson said the Jamaican government officials are determined to combat its economic woes and improve life for its residents. The country recently took a positive step in improving its healthcare system by creating a program that waived partial hospital fees for patients, he said. See Full Story! [:: More]

:: Air Jamaica
:: Bradley International
:: City of Hartford
:: State of Connecticut
:: Jamaica Progressive League
:: Jamaica Trade & Invest
:: West Indian Foundation
:: Consulate General of JA.
:: Caribbean history
:: Trinidad Express
:: Jamaica Gleaner
:: Jamaica Star
:: Barbados newspaper
:: St. Lucia Voice
:: St. Lucia Star
:: Dominica Chronicle
:: Jamaica Exporters
:: Jamaican Diaspora
[:: More]

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Hartford - The Right Location		Hartford Region
Hartford is a two-hour drive to Boston and New York (which means excellent access to two markets at significantly lower cost) Hartford has access to 100 million customers within an 8-hour drive (which means direct access to 68% of Canadian population, 32% of U.S. retail sales, 33% of U.S. manufacturing establishments) Hartford ranks #17 in the top 40 U.S. real estate markets for expanding businesses Hartford is a growing metro area with some of the nation's most prominent suburbs within a ½ hour drive An abundance of heritage, culture, arts, sports and entertainment, diverse neighborhoods, distinctive dining and shopping makes Hartford the smart choice for life.		Within a 8 hour drive from Central Connecticut, you'll find one-third of the U.S. economy and two-thirds of the Canadian economy, making Connecticut one of the best strategic locations in the U.S. Excellent transportation infrastructure Bradley international airport and located at intersection of New England major highways Foreign trade zone Strong diversified economy

Filling those US shelves		A Taste For Caribbean
Diaspora group seeks to increase Jamaican products take-up of shelf space Ingrid Brown, Senior Business Observer reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com Wednesday, June 18, 2008 The Caribbean Trade Council (CTC), an economic initiative out of Hartford, Connecticut in the United States, said it has been getting major supermarket chains and other businesses in that city to designate shelf space, and entire aisles in some cases, for products manufactured in Jamaica. [More]		Hartford area grocers stock products targeting West Indians By Jason Millman jmillman@HartfordBusiness.com 09/22/08 Looking to capitalize on the demand from Hartford’s extensive West Indian population, several mainstream grocery stores in the area have started to feature more Jamaican products on their shelves. [More]

Hartford Caribbean Trade Council Fosters Commerce

ANDREW LAWRENCE,
President and director of the Hartford Caribbean Trade Council,
is trying to develop trade between Hartford and the Caribbean region.
(MARC-YVES REGIS I / HARTFORD COURANT / July 15, 2008)

West Indians began migrating to the Connecticut River Valley during World War II and quickly found agricultural jobs in the region. Many worked in the valley's thriving tobacco industry. Today, the Hartford area has one of the country's largest populations of residents of West Indian descent. In 2004, a group of volunteers formed the Hartford Caribbean Trade Council to promote commerce between Connecticut and Caribbean island nations. The nonprofit group is overseen by a nine-member board.

Andrew Lawrence, who is of Jamaican descent, is a Hartford police officer, local businessman and president and director of the trade council

Q Why was the trade council established?

A The purpose of the council is to encourage trade to come into Hartford, as opposed to only coming through New York and Florida. By having products come into Bradley International Airport, for example, the Hartford area gets a tax base and the residents of Hartford get lower prices for all the products rather than the products having to go to New York and then be trucked all the way back here. We are an economic development initiative of the city. [More]

President/Director: Andrew Lawrence

Metro Hartford Economic Development Initiative
Member of Metro Hartford Chamber of Commerce, International Business Council.

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