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January 30, 2026
January 30, 2026
Guyanese businesses are urged to prepare for a more uncertain and competitive global trading environment at Global Trade 2026: Challenges and Opportunities, a one-day luncheon forum hosted by the World Trade Centre Georgetown (WTCG).
The forum highlighted the growing importance of preparedness, competitiveness and informed decision-making for Guyanese businesses, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and women-led enterprises.
WTCG Chairman Komal Samaroo said the forum was convened at a critical moment for global commerce.
“We thought that at this time of year, given all the developments in geopolitics and economics globally, we should get together to analyse some of these developments and see how best we might identify strategies to navigate this very uncertain period,” Samaroo said.
He stressed that Guyanese businesses must think beyond the domestic market, noting that transitioning from a domestic market to an international one requires adjustments, and that building international competitiveness and meeting global standards are essential for success.
From a regional trade policy perspective, CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General with responsibility for the Single Market and Economy (CSME), Wayne McCook, warned that recent global disruptions have exposed the fragility of long-standing trade arrangements.
“Someone once likened trade to oxygen, without which economies and societies cannot function. What 2025 has shown us is that trade cannot be taken for granted,” McCook said.
He further cautioned against expectations of a return to previous global trade norms.
“2026 will not be a reset year,” he said, noting that increased tariffs, protectionist measures and supply chain disruptions point to deeper structural changes in the global trading system.
Delivering the keynote address, former President of Bolivia Jorge Quiroga outlined four forces shaping the region’s future: politics, economics, energy and technology.
He emphasised the need for regional readiness, warning that countries cannot rely indefinitely on external systems.
“If we move into a world where health services, education, financial services and judicial systems are using artificial intelligence, it is almost impossible to envision any country accepting that this processing happens somewhere else. We are going to need localised data centres and AI centres,” he said.
Quiroga also cautioned against repeating historical development patterns in resource-rich economies.
“It makes no sense to just export the commodity and then import the manufactured goods,” he said, arguing that countries in the region must move up the value chain rather than remain dependent on raw exports.
