US foreign policy on Jamaica

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US Foreign Policy on Jamaica
The Framework of the U.S. Foreign Policy on Jamaica
The U.S. keeps productive and close associations with the Jamaican Government. The Jamaican Prime Minister Patterson came to Washington, DC, many occasions following his election in 1992. The Caribbean leaders, including Patterson, in 2001, talked with President George W. Bush when the Americas Summit was being held in Quebec, Canada. The meeting between the leaders led to the launching of a Third Border Initiative to strengthen the United States collaboration with Caribbean countries and promote economic expansion and connection of the Caribbean states (Bulmer-Thomas 427). It has been determined that the U.S. is Jamaica’s leading trading ally. This is proved by the statistics that show that, in 2005, the bilateral exchange between the two nations was above $2 billion. Likewise, Jamaica is a recognized site for American tourists, and at least 1.2 million Americans, as of 2006, toured Jamaica (Cox and Stokes 11). Moreover, nearly 10,000 American nationals, including several dual-citizens born in Jamaica, perpetually inhabit in the Island (Johnston 3). Besides, the Jamaican Government aims at attracting the United States investment and endorses the attempts to develop a Free Trade Area of the Americas. Above 80 United States-based companies operate in Jamaica, and the investment made by the United States totals to above $3 million (Cox and Stokes 12).

The foreign policy of the U.S. on Jamaica is productive for both countries. Accordingly, a premise of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service, situated in the U.S. embassy in Jamaica, dynamically helps American firms looking for trade chances in Jamaica. Jamaica also benefits from the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce that has been established with premises in Kingston to help the United States venture in Jamaica.
On the other hand, the United States for International Development (USAID) support to Jamaica from its year of independence, 1962, has resulted in the reduction of the population growth rate, the broadening and growth of Jamaica’s export size, and the achievement of higher living standards in regards to the key health measures (Bulmer-Thomas 428). The primary goal of USAID is to encourage sustainable economic expansion. Further, other critical aims include reinforcing democratic organizations and appreciation for the governing laws, enhancing the quality of the surrounding and protection of the natural resources, such as minerals, alongside promoting family planning. For example, in the financial year 2006, the Agency’s task in Jamaica ran a program adding up to at least $21 million in development support (Bulmer-Thomas 429).
It has also been reported that the Peace Corps has continued in Jamaica from 1962. From this period, at least 3,300 volunteers have offered their services in the nation (Cox and Stokes 15). Currently, the Peace Corps operates in various programs, including, water sanitation, which encompasses rural waste water alternative and treatment of the metropolitan discarded water; vulnerable youth, which encompasses teenage reproductive health, the desires of the sidelined males, and HIV/AIDS teaching; and education on the environmental aspects, which covers handling of low levels of alternatives and reinforces environmental non-governmental bodies (Hunt 4). The Corps in Jamaica supplies nearly 70 volunteers who serve in each locality in the nation, including some interior-city villages in Kingston (Bulmer-Thomas 430).
Jamaica is a leading shipment destination for cocaine heading for the U.S. and is as well a vital supplier of marijuana and its derived products for the U.S. consumers. In 2006, the Jamaican Government snatched narcotics directed to the U.S., detained major vendors and criminal mob spearheads, and disassembled their groups (Dawkins, Gibson and Stoddart 27). Jamaica is still the leading manufacturer and exporter of marijuana in the Caribbean region. The attempts of the Jamaica Defense Force and Jamaica Constabulary Force enhanced the increase in the grabbing of marijuana by more than 200 percent in 2006 (Cox and Stokes 17). In the same year, the Jamaica Constabulary Force detained 5,409 individuals on the charges connected to the drug, including 269 aliens (Bulmer-Thomas 432). The mission and efforts to eradicate the business of cannabis have been included in the United States foreign policy on Jamaica. Thus, the United States has formed a multinational mission body, the Operation Kingfish, including Jamaica, Canada, and the UK, to link investigations and inspections resulting in the detention and charging of the key offenders (Dawkins, Gibson and Stoddart 28). The task force has been at the forefront in ensuring that the abuse of drugs is controlled in the Caribbean region.
Economic Conditions of Jamaica
Jamaica has the largest population as compared to the English-speaking Caribbean countries and is an above average income nation. For many years, the island has challenged by low growth, several external shocks, and huge public obligations that have deteriorated its economy. The real per capita Gross Domestic Product, for the past 30 years, has risen at an annual average of one percent, making the nation one of slowest prospering developing states in the globe. The Jamaican Government progressively accrued debt that touched 145 percent of the Gross Domestic Product in 2012 (Cox and Stokes 21). Nevertheless, during the last three years, economic expansion rates have been increasingly growing, even though the rates are still below the required levels for eliminating poverty and enhancing mutual success. According to the projection of the World Bank, the GDP growth will accelerate to two percent in 2017 as compared to the 1.7 percent in 2016 (Bulmer-Thomas 434). The acceleration is linked to the enhanced growth in the United States reduce oil costs and amendment of the investment environment.
Furthermore, Jamaica remains to be challenged by severe social problems that largely impact the youth. These social issues include high rates of violence and crime and high rates of unemployment. The country, which had recorded a significant decline in the poverty rate by 20 percent within the past two decades, realized that the rate was increasing by 8 percent immediately following the inception of the 2008 worldwide economic crisis (Cox and Stokes 22). Besides, according to the Statistics Institute of Jamaica approximates that the unemployment level in the Island is 13.7 percent, as of April 2016 (Bulmer-Thomas 435). The rate of unemployment for the youth is significantly higher at 29.2 percent. Also, the average rate of unemployment for women is nearly two times that for men i.e. 18. 6 percent for women compared with 9.6 percent for men (Johnston 10). Again, the population of the country that falls below the poverty line is 16.5 percent, according to the 2009 data. The inflation rates, measured at the consumer prices, were 8.3 percent and 3.7 percent in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Moreover, the workforce consists of 1.309 million people in 2015 (Bulmer-Thomas 437).
Concerning the health conditions of the country, the health care services are offered via the Ministry of Health. The central government, through the National Health Services Act of 1997, has permitted the devolution of the health care arm via the formation of regional health establishments and the redesigning of the National Health Ministry. As of 2004, for instance, there were around 85 doctors, eight dentists, and 165 nurses for every 100,000 individuals (Hunt 9). The same year, the health care spending was approximated at 5.5 percent of GDP. The life expectancy was close to 73.3 years in 2005, while the maternal mortality level was 120 for every 100,000 live births, for past two decades (Johnston 15). Lastly, education is also recognized in Jamaica. In the past decade, the primary school admission was measured at about 95 percent of the age-qualified learners. Also, the secondary school registration was nearly 75 percent of age-qualified learners. The proportion of students to tutors for primary school was at almost 30:1 in the same period (Hunt 9).
The Nature of the U.S. Foreign Policy on Jamaica
The United States corporations have not been established in Jamaica to exploit and control them but just to promote the business growth between the two nations. The firms work together with the view of improving the living standards of the citizens of the two nations. The U.S. embassy has its offices in Jamaica to look for the opportunities for trade and market. The earnings are further circulated in the Jamaican economy, without necessarily controlling the Jamaican business environment. The relationship between Jamaica and the U.S. is mutual as the U.S. attempts to assist its partner in curbing the social problems it faces. Following the foreign policy actions used by the U.S. in Jamaica, it is true to say that there is no any form of imperialism. In sum, the U.S. Government implements a foreign policy on Jamaica that aims at expanding the trade activities between the two nations, dealing with the social problems in Jamaica, including the fight on drugs and marijuana smuggling, advancement of the Jamaican education system, and creating a sustainable environment, which includes the aspects of sustainable business setting, water sanitation, and battling with chronic diseases like cancer and HIV/AIDS (Dawkins, Gibson and Stoddart 31).

Works Cited
Bulmer-Thomas, Victor. “Richard Bernal, The Influence of Small States on Superpowers: Jamaica and US Foreign Policy (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2015).” Journal of Latin American Studies 48.02 (2016): 427-429.
Cox, Michael, and Doug Stokes. US Foreign Policy. Oxford University Press, 2012.Dawkins, Marika, Camille Gibson, and Dahlia Stoddart. “Drugs and Drug Control in Jamaica.” Pan-African Issues in Drugs and Drug Control: An International Perspective (2016): 160.
Hunt, Michael H. Ideology and US Foreign Policy. Yale University Press, 2009.Johnston, Jake. Partners in Austerity: Jamaica, the United States, and the International Monetary Fund. No. 2015-09. Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), 2015.