The poor performance of the harbor was caused by a decline in the number of ships that visited the port of Sint Maarten. The financial intermediation sector put a drag on real GDP growth, due to a decline in net interest income of the commercial banks.
Looking ahead, growth in Sint Maarten has to be seen against the background of developments in the world economy. In 2014, we expect world economic growth to accelerate supported by increased output growth in the advanced economies. Meanwhile, growth in the emerging economies will slow down. Sint Maarten will benefit particularly from the projected improving economy of the United States.