The Government of Guyana, the Private Sector Commission (PSC), and the Chambers of Commerce will be hosting a Surinamese Trade Mission/Delegation from the January 15-17, 2015. It is expected that the Ministers of Trade and Tourism will be in attendance, along with other distinguished delegates including representatives from the Surinamese Private Sector and Manufacturers’ Association.

The overall objective is to explore the opportunities for increased trade and investment between Guyana and Suriname, and the development of a strategy and plan of action to take advantage of the opportunities identified.

The opening ceremony will be held on Thursday, January 15 at the Princess Hotel at 19:00hrs; a mini exhibition will also be held between 18:00-22:00hrs.

During their stay, members of the visiting delegation will participate in a series of meetings, workshops and site visits; Suriname has chosen to act on recommendations coming from a study conducted on the Opportunities for Enhancing Export Trade between Guyana/Suriname and Brazil and have planned the visit to assist in developing a strategy for enhancing trade between the two countries.

Guyana, Suriname and Brazil are independent states, which along with French Guiana collectively occupy the central and north eastern portion of South America. Each state shares similar borders, with Suriname to the east of Guyana and Brazil to the south of both Suriname and Guyana.

There are many roads and bridges that link each state, where informal trade takes place. Guyana’s most recent link to Brazil came with the completion of the Takutu River Bridge in 2009, and the Surinamese government signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese firms for the construction of a road and rail to Brazil.

Brazil, Guyana and Suriname possess low population densities, with 60, 10, and 8 persons per square mile respectively, with the estimated average for South America being 22 persons.

These three states (including French Guiana) are also non-Spanish speaking. There is also a significant population of Brazilians living in both Suriname (40,000) and Guyana (10,000) mostly involved in the mining industry.

The economies of Brazil, Guyana and Suriname also concentrate significantly on the agriculture and extractive industries. Brazil has signed partial scope agreements with both Suriname (2005) and Guyana (2001) that give preferential access to a wide range of goods into the Brazilian market.

There are plans for a bridge to be built across the Corentyne River and a road linking Guyana and Brazil. (Tourism Ministry-January 13, 2015)