PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) – Trinidadian Prime Minister Patrick Manning says the United States has been “ignoring the Caribbean” and suggested his country could get better prices for its natural gas in other markets.

In a speech Tuesday to oil and gas industry executives, Manning said Washington had not been working hard enough to renew the Caribbean Basin Initiative, a preferential trade deal for 24 countries that is set to expire in 2008.

The prime minister blamed the delay in part on US preoccupation with terrorism since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

“Washington has been studiously ignoring the Caribbean and ignoring the requirements of Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

Manning noted that the twin-island republic is the leading supplier of liquid natural gas to the United States – and warned that his country could seek other markets such as Brazil and Mexico for the fuel.

“Too much of our (gas) goes to one destination and incidentally at prices that are not by any means the best prices that are available,” he said. “We are going to have to decide whether we wish to place all our eggs in one basket.”

Manning also said Trinidad needs more US assistance in combating the nation’s flourishing drug trade.

US Ambassador Roy Austin, who was in the audience during the speech, told reporters afterward that he would send a copy of the remarks to Washington.

“We don’t really ignore people, it’s a matter … of setting priorities,” Austin said. “There are a lot of things that we are doing around the world these days, but we consider Trinidad to be a very important partner.”

The Caribbean Basin Initiative offers 24 countries duty-free access to the US market for most goods and accounts for more than US$1billion (780 million euros) in annual commerce, according to trade officials.