Don Andres N.V. with a new cargo route between Curaçao and Trinidad & Tobago!

Willemstad – September 22nd in the afternoon, the De Jongh family, friends, and the Government of Curaçao, in a festive atmosphere, received the first shipment from Trinidad & Tobago aboard the Doña Luisa I, one of the ships from the Don Andres fleet owned by the De Jongh family. The vessel was welcomed at the Matthey Wharf in the presence of invited guests and was flanked by Don Andres I and Hermano Mirlo. Tou Kòrsou Company greeted the ship with a water salute and whistle, accompanying it into the harbor to dock at the wharf.

This new route is extremely important for trade within our region, especially for Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire. Given the challenges faced globally in the Supply Chain and the impact on international trade with longer, more expensive routes that increase the cost of living, one of the strategies is to promote more intra-regional trade within our region. “With this new route, we are taking a step towards increasing trade within our Caribbean region,” said Charles Cooper, the Minister in charge of the economy.

Don Andres is the one who supplies our islands and neighboring islands with various products and facilitates trade between the ABC islands. It directly connects us with the Dominican Republic and now with Trinidad. The impact is significant for our entrepreneurs, both importers and exporters. In a very short time, their merchandise reaches its destination directly. “We still have some logistical challenges to address at the port, such as optimizing logistics here in Curaçao to achieve much more competitive prices,” the official continued. “The route opens up opportunities for trade and services, which is extremely important for the economy. It influences product prices, provides us with more direct market access, stimulates more business, increases job opportunities, and strengthens our role as a key player in the region.”

 

     

We are well connected to Trinidad & Tobago.

We have direct air connectivity with Trinidad & Tobago through Caribbean Airlines, a Trinidadian airline, and now we are also connected by sea through a shipping company from our islands, Don Andres. This is a very clear example of bilateral trade.

Curaçao, as an associate member of Caricom, is in a favorable position to reach more concrete trade agreements. Curaçao and Trinidad & Tobago are negotiating a trade agreement to eliminate obstacles, so our products and services can enter the Trinidad market free of barriers and vice versa. We see potential for our services, but also for our products, both those manufactured here and those we exclusively import. Our Free Zone also has golden opportunities to supply Trinidad with everything it needs, such as clothing, electrical and electronic appliances, tobacco and alcohol, fresh products, and “delicacies.” From Trinidad, we can import fruits and vegetables, consumer goods, chicken, butter, cosmetics, milk, to name a few.

There is already a lot of trade happening between Curaçao and Trinidad, and with this new route, we are poised to expand even further. After Trinidad, more routes will follow. Minister Cooper calls for making Curaçao the commercial hub of the Caribbean once again and extends congratulations to the De Jongh family and the entrepreneurs who believed in and supported this project, both in Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, and Trinidad & Tobago.

“Keep investing! The government is here to facilitate your success. Let’s strive for more commerce!” concluded Minister Cooper.

Source: Government of Curaçao