Prime Minister Mark Phillips asked Canadian investors on Wednesday to widen their interests in Guyana beyond mining. He named energy, agriculture, infrastructure and other emerging industries as areas of opportunity as the country diversifies its economy. He spoke at a reception for The Chair's Circle, held as part of the Canada–Guyana Trade Mission 2026, where he restated the government's commitment to stronger bilateral trade and long-term commercial partnerships.

His message to the delegates was short. "Guyana is open for business, and Guyana is open to doing business with Canada." He asked that the mission be remembered as a turning point in economic relations between the two countries.

Canadian money is already heavily committed to Guyanese gold. Canada is the dominant foreign investor in the mining industry, with companies at stages from advanced exploration to near production. The Oko West gold project, run by the Canadian firm G Mining Ventures, employs 1,500 Guyanese workers. The request to look elsewhere therefore comes from a government that wants more from a partner it already values.

The appeal has been made before. At the Canada Day reception in June 2025, President Irfaan Ali welcomed Canadian mining investment and growing interest in oil and gas, then invited businesses to explore agriculture, infrastructure and other fields where he saw untapped potential. He also pointed to the extension of the Caribbean-Canada Trade Agreement, known as CARIBCAN, which remains in effect until 31 December 2033. Canada has no free trade agreement with Guyana, according to its own trade commissioner service.

Phillips acknowledged Canada's long contribution to Guyana's development and the personal connections between the two countries. The scale of those connections is substantial. The Canadian government says more than 100,000 Canadians have Guyanese ancestry, and describes Guyana as one of its largest trading partners within the Caribbean Community. In his address Phillips put the number of Guyanese living in Canada at about 86,000, and described them as a link for trade, investment and the exchange of knowledge. The two figures measure different things, since one counts residents born in Guyana and the other counts descent. He also said that combined imports and exports between the two countries rose by more than 50 per cent between 2021 and 2025.

Phillips identified several fields where he sees a role for Canadian capital and technical skill: oil and gas logistics, environmental management, modern agriculture and agro-processing, transport planning and water systems. He said foreign investment should build the skills of the Guyanese workforce and strengthen local small and medium-sized businesses, so that partnerships create jobs and transfer technology.

He also presented Guyana as a base for wider regional trade. The country gives access to the Caribbean Community market and to its neighbours Brazil and Suriname, and he encouraged Canadian firms to use it as a secure operating centre for the Caribbean and northern South America.

The invitation has support on the Canadian side. After meeting President Ali in May, Prime Minister Mark Carney's office said the two leaders had discussed opportunities for greater Canadian investment in energy, technology, agriculture and mining. Business groups have followed with forums and trade missions this month.

Phillips told delegates that the government will keep a stable regulatory and investment climate. He asked them to move past exploratory conversations and to agree specific, project-level partnerships between Canadian and Guyanese companies. Whether the mission produces signed projects will become clear in the coming months. For now, the government has set out the sectors it wants, and the Canadian companies in the room have heard it.

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