Regional business chambers spanning the Caribbean, Africa, and South Asia have joined forces at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda to launch the Commonwealth Coalition of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCCCI).
The landmark initiative brings together the Network of Caribbean Chambers of Commerce (CARICHAM), the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI), and the South Asia (SAARC) Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), in partnership with the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN). Together, the coalition will represent 75 percent of the Commonwealth’s 56 member states, driven by dynamic economies where the majority of citizens are youth.
The coalition was established to bridge the gap between high-level political commitments and the everyday enterprises driving actual trade. According to Commonwealth findings, bilateral trade costs between member nations are on average 21 percent lower than between non-member pairs, bolstered by common legal systems, language, and aligned commercial practices.
The CCCCI seeks to harness this competitive edge toward achieving the official goal set by Commonwealth Heads of Government: reaching US$2 trillion in intra-Commonwealth trade by 2030, a target reaffirmed by Trade Ministers in 2025.
