WILLEMSTAD – Despite increasing attention surrounding China's economic presence in the Caribbean, Curaçao is substantially more dependent on the United States than China for imported goods, according to a new geopolitical study of the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.
The researchers estimate that Curaçao imported approximately US$87 million in Chinese goods, primarily consumer products, electronics and manufactured goods.
However, China's share remains relatively modest in sectors considered essential to Curaçao's economic and national security.
Between 2019 and 2023, the United States supplied 50.6 percent of Curaçao's merchandise imports, while the Netherlands accounted for 18.4 percent.
The study therefore describes China's role as providing “breadth, not depth”: Chinese products appear across many categories, but China does not dominate Curaçao's most strategically important imports.
The United States and the Netherlands remain particularly important for food, medicines, machinery, fuel and other essential products.
That dependence creates another problem.
Because Curaçao produces relatively little domestically, disruption to international shipping, fuel supplies or major trading partners can quickly affect the availability and price of essential goods.
The report warns that small island economies can become especially vulnerable when imports are concentrated among only a few countries or suppliers.
It recommends that governments identify which essential products should have minimum strategic reserves, particularly food, fuel and medicines.
Those reserves could be maintained directly by governments, through minimum requirements imposed on private companies or through a combination of both.
The researchers also recommend diversifying import routes and strengthening trade with additional partners in South America, Europe and the Caribbean.
Rather than focusing only on reducing Chinese dependency, the report says Curaçao should address excessive dependence on any single foreign country or supplier.
In several strategic sectors, the study concludes, dependence on the United States and the Netherlands is currently substantially greater than dependence on China.