Basseterre, Saint Kitts, July 24, 2025 (SKNIS): Saint Kitts and Nevis is among several Caribbean nations looking to expand trade ties with its Caribbean Community (CARICOM) neighbour, Guyana, as part of efforts to reduce exposure to high tariffs and potential disruptions in global trade.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas, said that the need for member states to produce more goods was discussed at the recently held 49th Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Jamaica, earlier this month.
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As member states work to build on the momentum to cut food import bills by 25 percent, there is growing interest in sourcing regional alternatives for products that have traditionally been imported from outside of the CARICOM sub-region.
“Guyana is the only country in the world today which has already been adjudged to be a country that can feed itself, and it is part of the Caribbean Community, therefore, we should do everything that we can to strengthen our relationship with Guyana,” Dr. Douglas stated at a press conference on Tuesday (July 22, 2025). “Because it is produced within the Caribbean Community … there is no tariff to be imposed on that.”
Dr. Douglas added that he engaged the Prime Minister of Barbados and the President of Guyana asking “how can we collectively in the Eastern Caribbean bring things out of Guyana in bulk and thus redistribute them among the smaller islands.”
Negotiations are expected to gain momentum as the region aims to enhance self-sufficiency and build resilience against global shocks.
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