Regional integration usually begins with economic integration and goes on to include political integration. Economic integration occurs when the different countries agree to remove any trade barriers between them, which can create more opportunities for trade and investment. Due to the removal of these restrictions, there would be easier consensus and cooperation between member nations, as well as an increase in employment opportunities and this trade creation would result in lower prices for consumers in said countries. Though with the trade creation comes trade diversion, whereby member countries are more likely to trade with each other than with nonmember nations, creating a new trade barrier with countries outside of them.  With new job opportunities comes employment shifts which could be taxing on member countries as workers may move to gain access to better jobs and wages. Then there is the loss of national sovereignty, as nations may find themselves giving up more of their economic and political rights. 

The Caribbean is still fairly fragmented as a result of the conflicts and competitions amongst the European supremacies. This fragmentation is due in part to the separation of the colonies during the colonial era and the psychological effects of being separated by sea. Which brings me to the main argument towards regional integration ahead of globalization. We as nations are very small, even our largest country is still a mere speck on the world map, therefore we need to aim for economies of scale. To achieve this we would pool, as far as reasonably possible, our markets and human, natural and financial resources together into one unified and common market. With this single market, the economies become so integrated that all the barriers of movement of labour, goods and capital are removed. There is also a common trade policy put in place for trade with nonmember nations. The main advantage of a system like this would be that it would stimulate competition and trade, improving the efficiency of said trade, raising the quality as well and aiding in cutting prices. Though there are disadvantages as briefly mentioned above, this further integration would essentially be a stepping stone to branching out into the world of globalization.

On the flip side of this is for countries to focus on getting themselves more involved in the global community and stepping away from Caribbean integrations. The problem with this is whether or not individual countries in the Caribbean would be able to stand on their own, as in the past there have been times of countries having to close their links with other states internationally. A sudden reversal of a nation’s economic fortune can undoubtedly lead to the country suffering. There is also the possibility that the larger countries could perpetuate the exploitation of the natural resources of the smaller nations, reaping the majority of the benefits and leading to the lesser countries suffering. Another interesting question is whether or not globalization would help us to accept the various cultural differences that we would be exposed to, as within the regional integration there are still many situations that we do not agree on which separates us. Going into a global community ideally, could be a push in the right direction in terms of us becoming more accepting and respecting of diverse cultures and civilizations outside our own. The question then is would we be understanding of those outside cultures or would we shun them? In terms of the indigenous cultures, would this help us to appreciate them more and not take them for granted, with the implementation of declarations like the one the UN created as an aspiration for the way in which indigenous individuals ought to be treated.

Through globalization, more doors are opened to markets across the Caribbean on a global scale. This opens new avenues in terms of revenue for the various islands as they join the global community. Though with these new openings, there is the possibility of further problems arising when it comes to some of the things that global integration entails. Generally, freedom of movement tends to be a feature of globalization, which could be both good and bad, as we already have a few issues with immigration among the islands as is. For example, in 1870 to 1913, the first wave of globalization in the Caribbean brought a significant number of migrants, but the process was interrupted due to various wars and instabilities. In the late 20^th century, globalization was influenced to rise again due to the mobility of capital and international businesses. 

However, more fluid borders on a global scale may make persons emigrate, mainly on the assumption that higher incomes can be earned in countries abroad rather than their homeland. This same belief can also make persons immigrate to the various Caribbean islands which they believe would provide a better life for them economically. For example, the situation currently occurring concerning the influx of Venezuelan nationals in Trinidad and Tobago and other parts of the world. Presently, the country of Venezuela is suffering a huge migration crisis due to a political and ideological strategy of social control to stay in power by denying its population access to basic needs like food and water. In this state many nationals see emigrating as their only hope for survival, but many of their arrivals are spreading eradicated diseased to their neighboring countries as they are unable to receive healthcare.

Globalization could be seen as beneficial as it would be a crucial aspect in the future of the Caribbean’s economic development, however some may see it as a way to increase inequality within the islands. The smaller islands may suffer as in some cases there may be a lack of diversity when it comes to imports and exports, as some countries tend to become overdependent on overseas markets, which becomes a problem in of itself, and not import from regional countries. This leads to fluctuating economic standings within the Caribbean nations as there is not really a way for them to influence the international prices of their exports and a loss in competitiveness as a result of high transportation costs. However, the improved transportation methods have made it easier for the Caribbean to transport goods abroad, as well as transport persons through countries in the region aiding in the generation of revenue for these countries via tourism.

In the region, there are many attributes that are displayed that demonstrate its strength, such as its inclusive political process and the ability to grasp onto relative advantages like the tourism industry. Whereby in Caribbean countries, the encouragement of specialization and the development of the region’s advantages should be the top priority of policy makers. Though with the increasing amount of emigration of skilled labour from the Caribbean, it is increasingly difficult to ensure that there are workers in the region that are armed with the skills needed to survive in today’s global economy. Which leads me back to the point of regional integration being complementary to the progression of global integration. For island nations, like those of the Caribbean with fairly small economies, regional integration may be a crucial aspect in them overcoming the disadvantages and limitations that they face when it comes to the forces of globalization. Due to increased integration in the region, larger economies in production of goods that are not available to individual islands, may be able to suffice for the entire region. As well as being able to achieve more political taxing policy changes through regional agreements. In addition to gaining from specialization within the region, as aforementioned by pursuing various elements of the value-added chain in the development of higher quality locally patented commodities, such as Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. This greater regional integration of product markets is quite necessary to accommodate the influxes that the Caribbean regions are accustomed to, that can have destructive effects on competitiveness. The integration on a whole would increase the flexibility and efficiency, which would in turn increase the ability of the region to recover from these influxes.

As we talked about earlier, when it comes to trade, trade diversion must be avoided. One way of sidestepping this is phenomenon is to ensure that the regions continue to reduce trade barriers to the outside world as well. As regional integration should be complementing, rather than substituting for global integration. Necessary policies would need to be put in place when it comes to regional integration in terms of the stiff laws leading the labour market as well, which could obstruct economic flexibility and disfigure wages and productivity. Increased mobility would alleviate shortages in the region as some countries inevitably develop faster than others. This leads to the topic of financial stability, where the expanding of financial integration of the region has the prospective to increase capital to the most proficient regional firms. But that comes with certain risks as markets are merciless to vulnerable economies, therefore vulnerabilities must be assessed. With a further integrated region, there would be an increase in the regulation and supervision, including the possible creation of a system of officials to oversee the region. 

In today’s world of globalization, efforts at Caribbean integration clearly still hold relevance when it comes to the development of the Caribbean nations, but so does globalization. The expansion of the nations into the global market is also quite necessary and inevitable in order to progress as a region. As a singular minor country however, this may seem appropriate to do on their own if they are in a state of very elevated financial status but that can change very quickly. Rather than to say one option is better than the other, the view that regional integration is a strategic step that we must first properly deal with before going into the competitive market that is the global village, is one that seems to stand out. Ensuring that when the Caribbean deals with the forces of globalization that we already experience today, we are more than prepared to deal with it as a unified and high functioning unit.