MTI — INTRODUCTION

As one of the frontline Ministries within the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) is leading the drive to position Trinidad & Tobago as a manufacturing base, and the commercial, transshipment and financial hub of the Caribbean and the Americas.

The Ministry’s core responsibility is the promotion and development of trade activities, with an emphasis on generating sustainable export-led growth and development, by securing enhanced access to foreign markets for local companies.  As the pivotal agency for trade promotion and development, MTI manages and coordinates the trade reform process to enhance this country's global competitiveness.  In its role as official Secretariat for the Prime Minister’s Standing Committee on Business Development, the Ministry also spearheads activities to fulfill Government’s strategic objective of diversifying the Trinidad & Tobago economy.

This is closely tied to another critical mandate — the further development of Industry in Trinidad and Tobago.  In this regard, MTI is working to formulate more appropriate industrial, trade and services policies, designed to enhance the capability of the local industrial sector to maximise opportunities under the various trade agreements to which Trinidad & Tobago is signatory.

Since the Manufacturing and Services sectors have been identified as the new engines of growth, much of the Ministry’s activities are geared towards creating a facilitatory and supportive environment for business.  The mechanisms being used to achieve this include: trade liberalisation, business expansion, industrial restructuring, and an expansion of the export capability of local companies.  Throughout this process, the staff of the Ministry works closely with key stakeholders in the business community — both indirectly and through the Ministry’s statutory boards and state agencies and enterprises.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry is also responsible for stimulating both domestic and foreign investment, and is working to upgrade the entire framework for attracting investment — the lifeblood of industrial activity.

MTI conducts its affairs and provides required services with the highest regard and esteem for all clients and customers.  The Ministry’s clients and customers are located within Trinidad & Tobago, as well as regionally and internationally, and are drawn from government circles, the private sector, and civil society in general.