However, judging from the shopping of Barbadians in Trinidad, shoppers are buying, not only Trinidad-produced goods. If this is so, then we may have to ask ourselves why is it not possible to purchase these goods directly – is it sourcing? Surely we have a reputation for being a nation of traders!
With regard to final demand, while the decline in business fixed investment has almost come to a halt, private consumption continues to be weak. Moreover, housing investment remains sluggish and public investment is declining. While signs of recovery are still not observed in domestic demand, exports are losing their momentum.