(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat continued consultations on Member States’ readiness to participate in future trade agreements that the Community may negotiate to liberalise trade.
Representatives of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Private Sector Commission, Customs Brokers Association, Guyana Revenue Authority, and several public sector entities participated in the consultation held in Georgetown, Guyana, 7-8 May 2026. The discussions focused on the economic, fiscal, institutional, social, and political factors that would shape CARICOM Member States’ readiness to further liberalise trade.
The consultations respond to a mandate from the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) for the Secretariat to assess the readiness of CARICOM Member States to engage in further tariff liberalisation. Technical Advisor and Market Access Specialist Mr. Vincent Atkins and Agriculture Specialist Mr. Denis Crawford, both from the Directorate of CARICOM Single Market and Trade, facilitated the consultations.
Similar sessions are scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada from 24-28 May 2026, and later for Antigua and Barbuda. Consultations have already been conducted in other CARICOM Member States.
The Guyana edition of the consultations was organised with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.
