As global trade becomes more fragmented and protectionist pressures rise, local business leaders are warning that regional integration is no longer a strategic aspiration but an economic necessity, particularly for small, open economies exposed to external shocks.

Speaking at the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s Regional Investments and Capital Markets Conference, Jerome Smalling, chief executive of JMMB Bank, said geopolitical tensions and shifting trade policies risk pulling the Caribbean in different directions unless there is a deliberate effort to coordinate regionally.