Earlier this week, the Hon Marconi Leal, Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Culture, and Immigration led a delegation in talks with executives of the World Trade Center Georgetown (WTCG), headed by its Chairman, Mr. Komal Samaroo focused on advancing collaborative efforts to bolster regional, hemispheric, and global trade—particularly in support of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The discussions, held at the High Commission of Belize centered on strengthening Belize-Guyana trade relations and exploring the possibilities of developing joint initiatives to address persistent barriers faced by SMEs in accessing new markets. The parties identified key areas of cooperation including trade facilitation, regulatory education, and infrastructure support.
Notably, the Belize delegation and WTCG committed to coordinated efforts through the High Commission of Belize in Guyana to:
- Deepen the discussion to address barriers to market access, including non-tariff obstacles and trade-related bottlenecks;
- Increase education and capacity-building for exporters, with emphasis on meeting market access requirements and adhering to international standards, such as phytosanitary measures, labelling, and packaging regulations.
- Discuss logistics efficiency to enhance regional trade competitiveness.
Minister Leal noted, “Our government is committed to creating real trade opportunities for Belizean produces, especially to foster a space for the development of SMEs. These talks with WTC Georgetown represent a meaningful step toward a practical partnership focused on knowledge sharing, innovation, and inclusive growth.”
Mr. Samaroo echoed the importance of South-South cooperation and regional integration in building resilient trade ecosystems, particularly CARICOM member states. He pointed to the opportunities which the network of more than 300 World Trade Centers globally offer for the promotion of trade and investment particularly in non-traditional markets.
The Belize delegation included High Commissioner of Belize to Guyana H.E. Gale Miller Garnett, Mr. Andy Sutherland – Director General for Foreign Trade, Ms. Tricia Gideon – Deputy Director, and Mr. William Neal – Communications Director at ASR/BSI Belize.
WTCG Executive Director Wesley Kirton joined Mr. Samaroo in the talks.
In the coming months a joint working group is being established to formalize a framework for collaboration and to oversee the rollout of agreed initiatives.
