Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo stated that Guyana is prepared to engage with the United States, following comments made by President Donald Trump that his government is open to discussions during the 90-days pause on reciprocal tariffs.
“And we are ready to talk about it,” Jagdeo said at an ongoing press engagement. He further stated, “I had expressed the view that we want to work with the US. We will work with the United States of America to examine all the facts surrounding the matter and we are hoping to meet at some point.”
The Vice President explained that while every country is still required to pay the 10% across the board tariff, the reciprocal tariff has been temporarily suspended. “The United States of America is prepared to have discussions with countries about the reciprocal tax and that 75 countries have already reached out to the United States of America to address the question of the reciprocal tariff, so we’re one of those countries,” Jagdeo said.
He also reminded that there is no need for panic, reiterating a point he made last week. He underscored that had Guyana taken an antagonistic stance toward the US, there could have been consequences.
Jagdeo has maintained that Guyana believes the issue can be resolved through dialogue. “We have all the facts ready to present in those engagements,” Jagdeo said.
Moreover, the Vice President also reminded that while oil, gold, and bauxite ore are exempted from the reciprocal tariff, other critical sectors, particularly agriculture, could be severely impacted. As such, he noted that government will still meet with exporters but outlined that the country now has a 90-day reprieve. Jagdeo said the government hopes to engage the US within that window.
Responding to comments from the opposition, Jagdeo said he read APNU’s call for a holistic approach to addressing the tariff issue. “You know when APNU have nothing to say, they find refuge in platitudes…” he said.
He said there has been no serious suggestion from the opposition, and he believes they wanted the government to take a retaliatory stance. “They seem to want confrontation with the United States of America… it’s not only hollow, it’s stupid,” Jagdeo said.
