00:00Absolutely.
00:02And I'll feed a question from the back now.
00:04Kirk Campbell, Newsroom.
00:05President Allen, you've already spoken about how President Trump's plans, tariff plans
00:06for Chinese ships could affect regional trade.
00:07I just wanted to know if, in your trade talks today, if that issue was specifically discussed
00:08for Secretary of State Rubin.
00:09Yes.
00:10I can tell you.
00:11Oh, you're asking him.
00:12I'm sorry.
00:13It's for both of you.
00:14What assurances can you give to the United States of America that the U.S. is going to
00:15be able to make the transition to a trade agreement with China?
00:34Yes.
00:35Well, that's...
00:36Look, the goal the President has in doing so is we need to have an ability to build
00:40ships in this world that don't just come from China.
00:42Okay?
00:43It's just dangerous to have one country in the world building all the ships.
00:47I assure you that...
00:48And we don't want a war, but I mean, they're not going to build ships for us if we get
00:51in trouble, right?
00:52So we need to have alternatives to Chinese shipping.
00:54We're trying to create a market and a demand for alternatives to Chinese shipping construction.
00:59And I'm the first one to admit that the United States made a terrible mistake when we deindustrialized
01:03and we allowed all these industries to leave our country and go to other places.
01:07Now we're paying the consequences, but we have to fix it.
01:09So I do believe.
01:10I can't speak.
01:11The trade portfolio does not belong to the Department of State.
01:15But I do believe that we will take this back because we've heard this not just here, Mr.
01:20President.
01:21We've heard it throughout our visits here in the Caribbean.
01:23And we're going to take it back and explain to those who are in charge of trade policy
01:26that there are some implications to applying it to certain nations who are partners and
01:33who are seeking to develop their economies in ways that I think serve the national interest
01:37of the United States, not to mention the national interest of our partner nations, and see what
01:41can happen.
01:42So I can't make a commitment to those exemptions because that's not something we handle at
01:46the Department of State.
01:47What I can commit to is that I will most certainly raise this issue as a recurring issue in multiple
01:51places that it would have a real detrimental effect on economic development.
01:56Maybe in 10 years it won't be an issue because there's been some diversification.
01:59Maybe in five.
02:00But right now it would be problematic.
02:01That message I'll take back to Washington and to my colleagues that are handling the
02:05trade portfolio, and we'll see how the President decides to proceed.
02:11But rest assured we will take that message back.
02:13Just to echo the sentiments that, yes, we did discuss it, and the region would embrace
02:20it also.
02:21But Secretary Rubio, as he said, will take this back and to see whether there can be
02:28any special initiative for the region, given our specific circumstances.
02:34But let me say also that we have a responsibility to our friends.
02:40The U.S. is a great friend of ours.
02:43The U.S. will have made it very clear that they're ready to stand by us in our development,
02:49in our economic expansion, in our security, and in our defense.
02:53And I will say very boldly that such friends must have some different preferential treatment.
02:59Because a friend will defend me when I need it.
Comments