Nov 10, 2026
2 min read
Petroleum exports helped Guyana account for 62 per cent of the Caribbean's total goods exports in 2025, according to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The IDB's 2026 Trade and Integration Monitor said Guyana recorded US$23.2 billion in goods exports in 2025, a 20.8 per cent increase over 2024.
Exports grew by a further 28.9 per cent in the first half of 2026, helping to lift overall Caribbean export growth to 19.1 per cent. The report identified Guyana and Suriname as the principal contributors to the region's export expansion.
Foreign Investment
The report also documented a sharp rise in foreign direct investment (FDI) into Guyana. Average annual inflows increased from US$254 million between 2012 and 2014 to US$8.281 billion between 2023 and 2025. In relation to gross domestic product (GDP), this was a rise from 6.2 per cent to 37.4 per cent.
Guyana accounted for 78.1 per cent of the increase in foreign investment inflows across the Caribbean, with the oil industry identified as the principal driver.
The country's accumulated foreign investment stock rose from US$2.552 billion in the earlier period to US$34.252 billion between 2023 and 2025.
Commodity Price Exposure
The IDB noted the importance of managing exposure to international commodity price movements, given the growing concentration of regional exports in petroleum.
Between January and August 2026, commodity price movements had a positive impact on Guyana's trade balance equivalent to 8.3 per cent of GDP.
The report also recorded a 27.6 per cent decline in Guyana's goods imports in the first half of 2026, following a 41.3 per cent increase in 2025. The IDB said this was partly influenced by an unusually high comparison base, including exceptionally elevated imports in May 2025.
