The Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce (TT Chamber) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at building a more structured framework for bilateral trade, investment and private-sector cooperation between Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.
The agreement was signed on July 8 by TT Chamber President Karen Yip Chuck and GCCI President Kathy Smith, and is being described by both organisations as a significant step in advancing commercial ties between the two countries. It sets up a platform through which the two chambers can jointly flag obstacles facing businesses, push for practical fixes, and pursue new opportunities on both sides.
The MoU builds on groundwork laid during the 2023–2024 Chamber year, when former TT Chamber president Kiran Maharaj worked alongside then-GCCI president Timothy Tucker and then-Senior Vice President Kester Hutson to begin cataloguing the non-tariff barriers affecting trade between the two countries. That earlier effort helped resolve some longstanding commercial disputes and produced an evidence-based record of trade barriers that is now informing the new agreement.
Yip Chuck said the signing was about more than executing paperwork, describing it as the start of “an enduring framework through which the private sectors of our two countries can work together to identify challenges, advocate for solutions and unlock new opportunities for business.” She added that the ultimate goal is to make it easier for companies to operate across both markets, strengthen regional competitiveness, and deliver tangible benefits to people in both countries, and said she looks forward to working with the Georgetown Chamber to turn the MoU into a framework that produces real, measurable results rather than remaining a symbolic document.
GCCI President Kathy Smith pointed to collaboration as one of her organisation’s core values, and said the agreement is specifically geared toward tackling non-tariff barriers and other obstacles to market access, with both chambers sharing research and information on areas with strong potential for development.
TT Chamber CEO Dr. Vashti Guyadeen said the agreement marks a shift from conversation to action, noting that the two chambers will set up formal channels for businesses to submit trade-related issues, which will then be documented, validated and monitored jointly so that authorities can be engaged with evidence-backed recommendations.
Under the MoU, a Joint Chambers Working Mechanism will be established to guide ongoing cooperation on trade facilitation, business intelligence, investment promotion and policy advocacy, as well as the systematic tracking and resolution of non-tariff barriers. The mechanism is also meant to give both chambers a unified private-sector voice when engaging their respective governments and a way to monitor progress on agreed actions over time.
The TT Chamber said its side of the partnership will continue to focus on the non-energy economy, manufacturers, exporters, service providers, distributors, retailers, agriculture and SMEs looking to grow their footprint in Guyana. On the energy side, the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago, represented at the signing by President and CEO Dr. Priya Marajh, will keep working with GCCI to strengthen ties across the energy value chain, local content development and supply chain integration, efforts the TT Chamber says complement the new MoU and extend coordinated private-sector support across both economies.
The TT Chamber said it hopes the agreement will evolve into a living framework that removes barriers to trade and investment and creates lasting value for business communities in both countries.