Premier André Ebanks has returned from official engagements in Washington DC and Chicago aimed at strengthening the Cayman Islands’ relationship with the United States government, regulatory and financial services stakeholders.
The stops continue an international tour for Ebanks, also financial services and commerce minister, who recently completed meetings in Trinidad, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo to promote Cayman as an international financial centre.
The centrepiece of the Washington visit was a meeting with US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent, where discussions covered cross-border financial services and areas of mutual interest, including private credit and reinsurance.
Premier Ebanks also met with Ken Kies, assistant secretary for tax policy at the US Treasury, for talks on international tax policy and cross-border investment structures.
A separate meeting at the US Department of State covered anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, counter-proliferation financing matters and international cooperation frameworks.
On Capitol Hill, Ebanks met with members of Congress, including representatives Greg Steube, Pete Sessions, Claudia Tenney and Mike Haridopolos, as well as senior congressional staff from the Senate Finance Committee, the Office of the Speaker of the House, and the Office of the Senate Majority Leader.
These meetings allowed further discussion with key government representatives on financial services, tax policy, capital markets and investment flows.
Ebanks, posting on Instagram, said talks in Washington centred on “strengthening bilateral cooperation and supporting cross-border investment”.
He added: “Cayman’s established role as a well-regulated, international financial services centre is clearly understood by key US stakeholders.”
The Cayman delegation also engaged with senior representatives from organisations including the American Investment Council, MFA, Citi and the Financial Services Forum.
Cayman Islands Monetary Authority CEO Cindy Scotland and her team accompanied the premier throughout the Washington leg, participating in technical discussions with the Federal Insurance Office on Cayman’s supervisory framework, insurance and reinsurance, and alternative assets.
“The relationship between the Cayman Islands and the United States has always been positive and well understood by both sides,” Premier Ebanks said in a press release on 18 June.
“What we are focused on now is putting in place additional specific, formalised arrangements that help advance our economic partnership.”
He added that the visit was about addressing present-day challenges and maximising opportunities for growth and innovation that benefit both countries.
“Growth in financial services creates jobs and other opportunities for people in both of our countries,” he said.
From Washington, the premier travelled to Chicago, where engagements included meetings with government departments and major law firms, as well as a Cayman Finance and KPMG breakfast event.
Ebanks provided a keynote address at the breakfast and engaged in discussions on “Cayman’s value proposition, market trends, and emerging opportunities in corporate services, reinsurance, and investment funds”, he said on social media.
He said the discussions built on earlier momentum through constructive meetings with the Illinois Department of Insurance and the Illinois Economic Development Corporation, which identified a Chicago-based stakeholders who may be interested in working with Cayman.
He said potential areas of collaboration could include trade development to support cheaper imports, clean energy projects, healthcare system operations, public transport, education exchanges and infrastructure financing.
The premier was accompanied throughout the trip by Ministry of Financial Services officials, Cabinet Office staff and Cayman Islands Monetary Authority representatives.
