ABSTRACT
Predominantly urban based, Trinidad’s petty commodity production and service sectors are becoming increasingly important to the national economy, as the country is unable to sustain a successful formal manufacturing base. In a pattern which is similar to domestic food production, formal commodity manufacturing in Trinidad is dominated by the petroleum sector and related industries, with little potential for the development of a successful secondary sector. As a consequence, Trinidad is forced to import a wide-range of raw materials and goods for its markets. These include, amongst other items, a large proportion of raw materials for industry, electrical components, motor vehicles, textiles and luxury goods. Domestic production is essentially confined to small-scale and petty commodity production, the majority of which is home-based and constitutes a growing part of the informal sector.
