Guyana leads push to break decades-old regional trade barriers with Grenada bilateral deal

The Government of Guyana signaled a major deepening of bilateral cooperation on Monday evening, with President Dr Irfaan Ali announcing plans to finalise a long-term food security agreement with and Grenada, one that could reshape agricultural trade across the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and dismantle long-standing regional barriers. Speaking at the opening of the Office of the Honorary Consul for Grenada on New Market Street, Georgetown, President Ali said Guyana is ready to become Grenada’s most reliable supplier of quality food at stable prices, while also proposing joint investments to rebuild and modernise Grenada’s world-renowned spice industry. “We hope that in the first quarter of next year, our two sides can sit down and sign an elaborate bilateral agreement where Guyana can be your most trusted partner in supplying quality, consistent food at consistent prices…But we don’t just want a long-term supply agreement, we want to examine joint investment in rebuilding the spice industry, retooling it, and creating the capacity between our two countries to process and package spices for the region and the world,” the President said.

President Ali described the initiative as a model for the region, one that could finally break down outdated laws and informal obstructions that have kept Caricom food trade stagnant for decades.
“We believe that this approach will allow the rest of the region to also accelerate the decommissioning of artificial barriers on their borders and the decommissioning of arcade rules, trade laws and legislation that many leaders and countries in the region hide under as their inability to work closer with each other. If there is a law that prevents you from buying more food, from a sister state, democracy allows you the latitude to fix that problem in your parliament. It is not the law… if we want to win, and win together, we have to break those decade-old barriers,” Ali said

New era of bilateralism
President Ali praised Grenada as a long-standing partner and champion of Caricom integration, noting that the new consulate opens another channel for deepened ties. He highlighted that Caricom remains the region’s most important platform for advancing shared interests from trade and security to climate resilience and education. Bilateral engagements, he said, allow states to unlock opportunities tailored to each other’s needs. Guyana and Grenada have already begun that process. Last year, a Grenadian Government and private-sector trade mission visited Georgetown, scouting opportunities in investment, agriculture and commerce. More recently, the launch of direct flights between the two countries has opened the door to expanded tourism, business and cultural exchanges.

“Concrete and deliberate step”
Grenadian Prime Minister (PM) Dickon Mitchell, who travelled to Guyana for the ceremony, hailed the opening of the Consulate as a “concrete and deliberate step” toward strengthening Caribbean integration. PM Mitchell said he shares President Ali’s commitment to strengthening food security across the Caribbean.
“I wanted to make sure that I was here in person to convey our appreciation for the rock-solid support that we received from President Ali and the Government and people of Guyana. But in order to withstand those challenges, it means we must be more robust and more deliberate in our interaction, in our bilateral relations, in our regional relations. And as the foreign Minister says, we have consulates and embassies all over the world, oftentimes with countries that have little in common with us, that don’t come to our assistance, don’t come to our aid, that doesn’t have the partnership that we need, and we ignore very badly. And so, I’m indeed honoured that we are taking far more concrete and deliberate steps to ensure that we foster closer diplomatic, political, and economic ties that we all know,” the Grenadian prime Minister said. He called for enhanced collaboration in the area of climate security, referencing Jamaica’s recent catastrophic losses during Hurricane Melissa. He also spoke emotionally about the support Guyana provided after Grenada was devastated by Hurricane Beryl in 2024. “In more recent times, the visionary and transformative leadership of Dr Ali has not just focused on Guyana but on the wider Caricom region and Grenada, as a close neighbour, has benefited immensely from this. In some of our most difficult times, last year when we were ravaged by a hurricane Beryl, it was Guyana who led the way in coming to aid, coming to assistance, in supporting our people. And for this, we will be forever grateful”. “In order to withstand those challenges, it means we must be more robust and more deliberate in our interaction, in our bilateral relations, in our regional relations. And as the foreign Minister says, we have consulates and embassies all over the world, oftentimes with countries that have little in common with us, that don’t come to our assistance, don’t come to our aid, that doesn’t have the partnership that we need, and we ignore very badly. And so, I’m indeed honoured that we are taking far more concrete and deliberate steps to ensure that we foster closer diplomatic, political and economic ties that we all know,” he added.
Grenada has appointed local businessman Dr Komal Singh as the Honorary Consul in Guyana.