Trump slaps 38% tariffs on goods from Guyana

Apr 03, 2025 News

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…says this country charging US 76% tariffs in currency manipulation, trade barriers

Kaieteur News- United States President, Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed a 38% rate of tariffs goods from Guyana as he unveiled a sweeping new trade policy, which targeted some of that country’s biggest trading partners.

The rate imposed on Guyana is the highest for Latin American and Caribbean countries and comes just days after President Irfaan Ali vowed to stand by Washington amid threats to impose tariffs on Chinese-built vessels during a news conference last week with US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.

According to the US new tariffs policy Brazil, Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica,Suriname, Barbados, Antigua, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada,St Vincent have all been charged 10% tariff.

Trinidad and Tobago has been slapped with 12% and Venezuela 29%. In reacting to the move by the US, the Government of Guyana in a rse statement said that it has taken note of the reciprocal tariffs announced by the US Government.

“Our government is Cosely engaged with our US partners to better understand the issue and have it addressed as appropriate,’ the statement concluded.

Trump and the White House shared a series of charts on social media detailing the tariff rates they say other countries impose on the U.S. Those purported rates include the countries “Currency Manipulation and Trade Barriers.”

Under the currency manipulation and trade barriers the US measured Guyana’s rate at 76% and in an adjacent column it shows the new U.S. tariff rates on this country, which is put at 76%. According to a CNBC article those rates are, in most cases, roughly half of what the Trump administration claims each country has “charged” the U.S.

The reciprocal rates are not necessarily the only U.S. tariffs these countries will face.CNBC said. The White House told CNBC’s Eamon

Javers on Wednesday that the new reciprocal rate on China will be added to existing tariffs totaling 20%, meaning the true tariff rate on Beijing is 54%. Trump said his plan will set a 10% baseline tariff across the board. But as his charts make clear, many countries are set to face significantly higher rates.”We will charge them approximately half of what they _are and have been charging us,” Trump said in an announcement in the Rose Garden at the White House.”So, the tariffs will be not a full reciprocal,” he said. But that halved figure Includes “the combined rate of all their tariffs, nonmonetary barriers and other forms of cheating,” he said.

Great friend

Meanwhile,just last week while acknowledging the looming economic impacts stemming from Trump’s proposed tariffs on Chinese-built ships, Ali vowed to stand by the U.S., “a great friend”of Guyana. At a press conference following talks with Rubio, held at State House in Georgetown, both officials were asked whether their discussions focused on the impacts the tariffs could have on the Caribbean.

Responding first, Secretary Rubio contended that the U.S. aims to reduce dependency on Chinese shipbuilding.

He,however, acknowledged the potential economic consequences for Guyana and the region.

“The goal the President has in doing so is we need to have an ability to build ships in this world that don’t just come from China. I think it’s just dangerous that one country in the world is building all the ships.

I assure you that we don’t want a war. But I mean, they’re not going to build ships for us if we get in trouble, right? So, we need to have alternatives to Chinese and we’re trying to create a market and then demand for alternatives to Chinese ship construction,” Rubio explained.

Secretary Rubio admitted that he could not make any guarantees about exemptions or policy changes, as trade matters do not fall under his portfolio.

However, he assured that he would relay the region’s concerns to U.S. trade officials.

“So, I can’t make a commitment to those exempt, because that’s not something we have with the partner State. What I can commit to is that I will most certainly raise this issue as a recurring issue in multiple places, that it would have a real detrimental effect on economic development.

Maybe in 10 years, it won’t be an issue because there’s been some diversification maybe in five, but right now, it would be problematic. That message I’ll take back to Washington and to my colleagues that are handling the trade portfolio, and we’ll see how the President decides to proceed. But rest assured, we will take that message back,”Rubio stated.

 

For his part, President Ali took comfort in Rubio’s statement that he will relate Guyana and the region’s concern.

He said,”But Secretary Rubio is, as he said, will take this back and to see whether there can be any special initiative for the region, given our specific circumstances.”

To this end, Ali made it clear that Guyana has a responsibility to its friends.

“The U.S. is a great friend of ours. The U.S. has made it very clear that they are ready to stand by us in our development, in our economic expansion, in our security and in our defence. And I will say very boldly that such friends must have some different and preferential treatment, because a friend who will defend me when I need a friend to defend me, must be a friend that enjoys some special place in our heart and in our country, that will bebthe case,” he said.

President Ali had also recently voiced his concerns over the impacts Trump’s tariffs would have on the region. Ali said that Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago would need to assess the implications for tankers and other vessels transporting oil and gas.

“That, of course, can have effects on the cost of goods coming into the region, the cost of transport coming into the region… this is a policy that was alluded to, so there are some discussions that will have to occur so all of these things are key regional issues that we are discussingtogether,” Ali stated

He said that while the policy is not yet implemented, “we have to have early conversations to mitigate or minimize the impact.”

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