{
  "title": "Mind the Gaps: Caribbean Trade Patterns and the Connectivity Constraint",
  "publication": "IMF Working Papers, May 15, 2026",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2026/05/14/mind-the-gaps-caribbean-trade-patterns-and-the-connectivity-constraint-576030",
  "canonical": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2026/05/14/mind-the-gaps-caribbean-trade-patterns-and-the-connectivity-constraint-576030",
  "overlayPath": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2026/05/14/mind-the-gaps-caribbean-trade-patterns-and-the-connectivity-constraint-576030/index.md",
  "summary": "This paper analyzes trade patterns across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)—15 Caribbean countries—and makes three main contributions.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Overview and scope",
      "content": "- Paper analyzes trade patterns across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)—15 Caribbean countries.\n- Methodological approach: unified empirical assessment using a consistent gravity-model framework to jointly analyze goods trade, tourism flows, and cross-border banking linkages.\n- Data sources emphasized: granular bilateral trade, tourism, and flight capacity data.\n- Publication details:\n  - Authors: JaeBin Ahn, Nalisa Marieatte, Philipp-Leo Mengel, David Moore, Josefine Quast, Qingyu Tao, Hou Wang\n  - Date: May 15, 2026\n  - Pages: 46\n  - Volume: 2026\n  - Issue: 095\n  - Series: Working Paper No. 2026/095\n  - DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798229045285.001\n  - ISBN: 9798229045285\n  - ISSN: 1018-5941"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Key findings",
      "content": "- Three main contributions:\n  - Provides a unified empirical assessment of Caribbean external connectivity by jointly analyzing goods trade, tourism flows, and cross-border banking linkages within a consistent gravity-model framework.\n  - Presents new evidence on the role of physical connectivity—shipping and air transport—in shaping both import source concentration and tourism inflows, drawing on granular bilateral trade, tourism, and flight capacity data.\n  - Shows that, while financial connectivity matters in a global context, it is not the primary binding constraint for Caribbean economies; instead, limited physical connectivity emerges as the more decisive factor shaping trade patterns and external vulnerabilities.\n- Comparative insight:\n  - Financial connectivity has relevance globally, but for CARICOM economies the binding constraint is limited physical connectivity (shipping and air transport) affecting import concentration and tourism inflows."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Thematic emphasis",
      "content": "- Physical connectivity:\n  - Shipping and air transport are central determinants of import source concentration.\n  - Flight capacity and transport linkages are linked to tourism inflows.\n- Financial connectivity:\n  - Cross-border banking linkages are analyzed but are not identified as the primary constraint for Caribbean external integration.\n- Analytical framework:\n  - Gravity-model framework enables joint assessment across goods trade, tourism, and banking linkages to isolate the roles of physical and financial connectivity."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Subject areas and keywords",
      "content": "- Subject: Economic sectors, Exports, Imports, International trade, Tourism, Trade balance, Trade in goods\n- Keywords include: banking linkages and trade finance, banking-trade nexus, Caribbean, CARICOM economy, Central America, concentration, economic integration, Exports, Global, goods trade, IMF working papers, Imports, International and interregional trade, shipping and air connectivity, South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Tourism, Trade balance, Trade in goods, trade pattern, trade vulnerability and resilience, trade-finance linkage, transportation supply, travel demand\n\nSource: Mind the Gaps: Caribbean Trade Patterns and the Connectivity Constraint (IMF Working Paper No. 2026/095).\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Working Paper\n  - Working Paper (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Working Paper (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2026/05/14/mind-the-gaps-caribbean-trade-patterns-and-the-connectivity-constraint-576030"
    }
  ],
  "bullets": [
    "[Markdown version](/en/publications/wp/issues/2026/05/14/mind-the-gaps-caribbean-trade-patterns-and-the-connectivity-constraint-576030/index.md)",
    "[Structured JSON version](/en/publications/wp/issues/2026/05/14/mind-the-gaps-caribbean-trade-patterns-and-the-connectivity-constraint-576030/index.json)",
    "[Bundle manifest](/en/publications/wp/issues/2026/05/14/mind-the-gaps-caribbean-trade-patterns-and-the-connectivity-constraint-576030/bundle-manifest.json)",
    "Authors: JaeBin Ahn, Nalisa Marieatte, Philipp-Leo Mengel, David Moore, Josefine Quast, Qingyu Tao, Hou Wang",
    "Published: May 15, 2026",
    "Series: IMF Working Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798229045285.001",
    "Paper analyzes trade patterns across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)—15 Caribbean countries.",
    "Methodological approach: unified empirical assessment using a consistent gravity-model framework to jointly analyze goods trade, tourism flows, and cross-border banking linkages.",
    "Data sources emphasized: granular bilateral trade, tourism, and flight capacity data.",
    "Publication details:",
    "Three main contributions:",
    "Comparative insight:",
    "Physical connectivity:",
    "Financial connectivity:",
    "Analytical framework:",
    "Subject: Economic sectors, Exports, Imports, International trade, Tourism, Trade balance, Trade in goods",
    "Keywords include: banking linkages and trade finance, banking-trade nexus, Caribbean, CARICOM economy, Central America, concentration, economic integration, Exports, Global, goods trade, IMF working papers, Imports, International and interregional trade, shipping and air connectivity, South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Tourism, Trade balance, Trade in goods, trade pattern, trade vulnerability and resilience, trade-finance linkage, transportation supply, travel demand",
    "**Working Paper**"
  ],
  "related": [
    {
      "title": "Working Paper",
      "role": "paper",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/wp/2026/english/wpiea2026095-source-pdf.pdf",
      "summary": {
        "path": "/-/media/files/publications/wp/2026/english/wpiea2026095-source-pdf.pdf.md",
        "mime": "text/markdown"
      },
      "binary": {
        "path": "/-/media/files/publications/wp/2026/english/wpiea2026095-source-pdf.pdf",
        "mime": "application/pdf"
      }
    }
  ],
  "alternates": {
    "markdown": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2026/05/14/mind-the-gaps-caribbean-trade-patterns-and-the-connectivity-constraint-576030/index.md",
    "json": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2026/05/14/mind-the-gaps-caribbean-trade-patterns-and-the-connectivity-constraint-576030/index.json",
    "bundleManifest": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2026/05/14/mind-the-gaps-caribbean-trade-patterns-and-the-connectivity-constraint-576030/bundle-manifest.json"
  },
  "generatedAtUtc": "2026-09-17T03:23:39.448Z"
}