Editor’s note: La Caribeña News has since published a fuller account of this story. Read Bahamas Pays a 12.5 Per Cent Forced-Labour Tariff. Trinidad Pays 10..
Guyana will not face a new burden from a 12.5 percent United States tariff that Washington ties to countries it says still buy goods made with forced labour, INews Guyana and Demerara Waves reported. Georgetown will lobby for the measure's removal.
By LCN Wire
What did Guyana say about the new US tariff?
Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Robert Persaud said Guyana had taken note of the tariff action announced this week by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, INews Guyana reported. Persaud said the measure does not represent a new or additional burden on Guyanese exporters, and that it replaces an existing 10 percent global tariff, according to that report.
Guyanese exporters will not be disadvantaged by the 12.5 percent tariff, Demerara Waves reported. The outlet described the measure as aimed at punishing 60 countries the US says still buy products made by forced labour. Both outlets reported the same core position: exporters will not be burdened. The rate sets Guyana apart in the new US tariff regime, where most of CARICOM walks away clean.
What does Guyana plan to do next?
Guyana will pursue an exemption from the tariff, INews Guyana reported. Guyana will lobby for the measure's removal, Demerara Waves reported. The US had already imposed the 12.5 percent forced-labour tariff on Guyana's exports, following earlier reporting that the US was weighing new tariffs on 60 countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the rate of the new US tariff?
Both INews Guyana and Demerara Waves reported the tariff is set at 12.5 percent.
Why has the United States imposed the tariff?
Demerara Waves reported the tariff is aimed at 60 countries that the US says still buy products made by forced labour. The 10 percent and 12.5 percent tariffs took effect just as a temporary 10 percent global tariff expired.
Does the tariff add a new cost for Guyanese exporters?
Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud said the measure does not represent a new or additional burden, and that it replaces the previous 10 percent global tariff, INews Guyana reported. Demerara Waves reported exporters will not be disadvantaged.
Georgetown's next move now shifts to Washington, where officials will press their case for an exemption.