UK’s business success relies on partnerships, high quality despite competition from China, India – officials

Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, 20:54 by Writer

United Kingdom trade envoy to the Commonwealth Caribbean, Paulette Hamilton on Tuesday said her country was banking on strong partnerships and high quality of goods and services to sustain a lasting market share in Guyana and the Caribbean, despite cheaper offerings by India and China.

Part of the 5^th UK-Guyana Trade Mission—in collaboration with The Caribbean Council, British Chambers of Commerce and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce—Ms Hamilton acknowledged that China and other countries were “working quite hard in the region” but her country relies on the longstanding relationship and trust with Guyana and other Caribbean countries. “We understand that Guyana is also looking for quality services,” Ms Hamilton said.

She said the UK was focussing on long-term relationships rather than immediate growth. “The growth will come. It may not be as quick as other countries but we are starting to have really good relationships,” she said. “At the moment, the figure may not be as high as other countries but it’s growing steadily and it will be lasting,” she added.

Regional Director of the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, D’Jamila Ward said the figures show that the UK is among the top five trading partners with the rest of the Commonwealth Caribbean. “Fundamentally, what you need to note is that we are not driven by a race to out-compete,” she said. That approach, she said, would see the UK retaining its position as one of the highest trading partners.

In her remarks, she said 40 percent of UK companies that came to Guyana on trade missions had completed at least one commercial deal. “This is an extraordinary success rate by any measure of definition,” she said.

Without naming any specific country she said the UK was in the Guyana market for the long haul. “The UK is not here for quick wins. We don’t do hit-and-run business. We build relationships. We build expertise and we build Guyanese capacity that last far beyond any single project. That is the UK’s approach and that is why our partnership works so successfully,” she said. She said modern partnerships include trade missions, building regulatory capacity, technical expertise and sectoral strength across Guyana and the wider Caribbean.

Ms Ward said latest trade data underlines the partnership with Guyana with trade in goods and services between the two countries totalling £1.6 billion. She said Guyana remains the UK’s largest trading partner in the Caribbean.

Managing Director of the Caribbean Council, Chris Bennett welcomed the level of development with Guyana’s use of its oil revenues over the past years. Among the improvements he pointed to are roads, bridges, hotels, education, hospitals and the natural gas pipeline. “Things are getting done and it’s a testament both to the private sector and to the government that they are working closely together. They have a vision, they have leadership and they are really delivering for the people of Guyana,” he said.

He said the UK’s 18-member trade mission was a testimony to developments and possibilities.

The team is offering specialist areas in education, infrastructure in areas of large-scale building construction and public works, power supply for large infrastructure, public hospitals, data centres, specialist procurement experts versed in UK export financing opportunities, emissions monitoring, shipping, and domain awareness security monitoring.

Country Director of the UK High Commission’s Department for Business and Trade, Sherwyn Naughton said the 40 percent success rate in the four previous trade missions were in areas such as shipping, food beverages, construction, cybersecurity, drainage solutions as well as accounting and legal services.

Remarks were also delivered by representatives of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the British Chamber of Commerce Guyana (BritCham). The BritCham official, Anand Harrilall encouraged the business delegation to take advantage of opportunities in the non-oil sector and leverage financing from UK Export Finance (UKEF) which in October 2025 increased its export credit financing limit for Guyana from £2.1 billion to £3 billion.

The BritCham official encouraged the mission to take advantage of the chamber’s facilitating role in doing business with ease. “Often times, we see companies come into the market and they get frustrated. We don’t want you to get frustrated. We need you to connect with the right people,” he said.

Finance minister Dr Ashni Singh encouraged the trade mission members to position themselves to examine opportunities surrounding further infrastructural developments such as the completion of the Linden-Lethem road with links to a deep water port that will serve neighbouring Brazil as well as the proposed Guyana-Suriname bridge across the Corentyne River.