Citizens exercise this right through periodic, free, and fair elections held on the basis of universal suffrage. The U.S. Army and the U.S. Coast Guard provide periodic training and material support for the SSU and the coast guard. Agriculture accounts for over half of merchandise exports, and a large portion of the population is employed directly or indirectly in agriculture. Recently the performance of the agricultural sector has not been good. Grenada's banana exports declined markedly in volume and quality in 1996, and it is a question to what extent the country will remain a banana exporter.
Tourism remains the key earner of foreign exchange.
Most goods can be imported into Grenada under open general license but some goods require specific licenses. The United States, Venezuela, and Taiwan have embassies in Grenada. Grenada has been recognized by most members of the United Nations and maintains diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom, the United States, Venezuela, and Canada. It joined the United Nations in 1974, and the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Organization of American States in 1975. Grenada subsequently contributed personnel to the multinational force which restored the democratically elected government of Haiti in October 1994.