Opposition Spokesman on Industry, Trade and Global Logistics, G Anthony Hylton, MP, is warning that Jamaica risks missing a critical window of economic opportunity as countries across the world aggressively reposition themselves within a rapidly changing global economy.

Making his contribution to the 2026/2027 Sectoral Debate in Parliament on Tuesday, Hylton said the international economic landscape is being fundamentally reshaped by shifting supply chains, geopolitical tensions, and growing competition for investment, manufacturing, and logistics opportunities. He argued that while other countries are acting decisively to secure their place in the future global economy, Jamaica continues to operate without a coherent long-term growth strategy.

“Entire industries are relocating, new manufacturing corridors are emerging, and countries are moving quickly to secure investment and strengthen their economic influence,” Hylton said. “The question is whether Jamaica is positioning itself to benefit from these changes or whether we will once again be left watching others move ahead of us.”

Hylton pointed to countries such as Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, which he said have already made deliberate strategic investments in areas including logistics, manufacturing, biotechnology, financial services, and near-shoring. “Other countries are moving with urgency because they understand these opportunities will not remain open forever,” he said. “Nations positioning themselves early will shape the next era of prosperity, while those that hesitate risk losing opportunities for generations.”

While acknowledging Jamaica’s progress in achieving macroeconomic stability and fiscal discipline, Hylton maintained that stability alone has not produced the level of transformation needed to improve the lives of ordinary Jamaicans. “The Jamaican people are not living inside spreadsheets,” he said. “They are living with rising food prices, increasing fuel costs, limited upward mobility, and growing uncertainty about the future. Stability must now translate into opportunity, productivity, and real economic expansion that people can actually feel in their daily lives.”

The Opposition Spokesman argued that Jamaica possesses significant advantages, including its geographic location, English-speaking workforce, cultural influence, and proximity to major international markets. However, he warned that those advantages must now be matched by stronger execution, industrial planning, and investment in productive sectors.

He further cautioned that the near-shoring opportunities emerging from ongoing US-China economic tensions may not remain available indefinitely. “The global economy is reorganising itself in real time,” Hylton said. “Jamaica cannot afford to spend another decade managing survival instead of building transformation.”