WTC Georgetown pushes for return to duty-free trade with U.S.

Apr 23, 2026 News

(Kaieteur News) – The World Trade Centre Georgetown (WTCG) is advocating for the return to duty-free access under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), which previously governed Caribbean trade with the United States before tariffs were imposed during the Donald Trump administration.

The call was made at the 56th Global Business Forum (GBF) and General Assembly of the World Trade Centres Association (WTCA), currently underway in Philadelphia.

WTCG Executive Director Wesley Kirton has been raising the issue in several meetings, even as broader discussions at the forum have focused on encouraging exporters to diversify beyond the US market.

WTC Georgetown pushes for return to duty-free trade with U.S.

Wesley Kirton, Executive Director, World Trade Centre Georgetown with Arun Venkataraman, former head of The United States Foreign Commercial Service.

During a session on navigating tariffs, Guyana and several African delegations highlighted the positive impact of CBERA for Caribbean states and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for African countries in sustaining businesses and employment.

“To add to the problem regarding Guyana, we have a 15 % tariff while the rest of CARICOM enjoys a 10 % tariff. This puts exports from Guyana at a disadvantage, and I believe that the CARICOM Region would prefer a return to CBERA,” Kirton said.

He described the tariffs as unreasonable for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and for Guyana, noting the country’s vulnerable low-lying coastland and exposure to the effects of climate change.

Last year, the US reduced its tariff on Guyanese exports from 38% to 15%. The reduction was announced via Executive Orders that modified the country’s reciprocal tariff rates. Back in April 2025, U.S. President Trump imposed a 38% tariff on goods from Guyana as part of a sweeping new trade policy targeting some of the country’s largest trading partners. He also implemented a 10% across-the-board tariff that all countries are required to pay. However, days later, the U.S. administration announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had previously assured Guyanese exporters that the government would work to clarify discrepancies in trade surplus data with the U.S., which he believes contributed to the imposition of the 38% tariff. He had argued that the surplus was largely due to oil exports from ExxonMobil Guyana to the United States.

Moreover, WTCG noted that World Trade Centres across the United States were urged to advocate for restoring a rules-based trading system. WTCG also stated that it is planning a forum on strategies for effectively addressing the issue of tariffs and has extended an invitation to Arun Venkataraman, former head of the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service to lead the discussions at the forum.

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Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, CARICOM, Georgetown, Global Business Forum, World Trade Centre

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