The World Trade Center Georgetown is hosting a commercial luncheon with Arun Venkataraman, the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets, to help Guyanese businesses understand and respond to recent changes in American trade policy.

The event is designed to give exporters, manufacturers and investors practical guidance on managing new tariff structures, identifying market opportunities and strengthening their position in the U.S. marketplace.

Guyanese exporters are contending with a notable shift in trading conditions. Products that previously entered the United States under duty-free arrangements are now subject to tariffs of up to 15 per cent under updated U.S. tariff structures. The changes form part of wider recalibrations in American trade policy that have affected suppliers across multiple regions, with global supply chains and bilateral trade agreements under renewed scrutiny from Washington.

Venkataraman served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets from 2022 to 2025, a Senate-confirmed position in which he also held the role of Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service. Within the International Trade Administration, his remit covered the management of international commercial transactions, the reduction of trade barriers, the negotiation of bilateral agreements, and support for foreign companies seeking to invest in the United States. His appointment placed him among the senior figures responsible for shaping the commercial engagement strategy of the U.S. government with trading partners worldwide.

At the Georgetown luncheon, Venkataraman is expected to set out the current state of U.S. commercial policy, outline available trade preferences, and identify mechanisms through which Guyanese firms can enter or maintain competitiveness in the American market. Topics will include export development, foreign direct investment, the formation of corporate partnerships, and the integration of local businesses into global value chains.

The event is structured to move beyond a one-way presentation. A dedicated question-and-answer session will allow attendees to raise specific concerns directly with Venkataraman, and networking discussions are planned alongside the main address. The format reflects an intent to make the session of immediate, applied use to participants rather than a general briefing on geopolitical trends.

The audience is drawn from across the private sector, including exporters, manufacturers, service providers, entrepreneurs and business support organisations. The scope of delegates suggests WTCG is positioning the event as relevant not only to firms already trading with the United States but to those exploring export opportunities for the first time.

WTCG operates as an affiliate of the World Trade Centers Association, a network of more than 300 trade hubs spanning over 100 countries. The organisation has framed the luncheon within its broader mandate to connect Guyanese enterprises with international expertise, capital and market intelligence. Events of this kind serve a function beyond the transactional, offering smaller economies a channel through which they can engage with policy changes that originate far beyond their borders but carry direct consequences for domestic industry.

The timing carries significance. Guyana's economy has expanded rapidly on the back of offshore oil production, and the country's business community is increasingly active in seeking trade and investment relationships outside the Caribbean region. A direct line to a figure with Venkataraman's experience of U.S. commercial machinery is, for many attendees, unlikely to present itself often.

Further details on registration and the confirmed date of the luncheon are available through the World Trade Center Georgetown.

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