BELIZE and Guyana are moving to deepen cooperation in the sugar industry, Belize Prime Minister John Briceño said on Monday during a sitting of the Belizean National Assembly attended by Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali.
Reflecting on a shared history shaped by sugar production and colonial development, Prime Minister Briceño said the time has come to transition from those legacy models.
He announced that Belize and Guyana will jointly facilitate private sector investment in the refined sugar industry, while reaffirming sugar’s continued importance within both countries’ agricultural sectors.
“We share a history shaped by sugar. Fields were ploughed and cane cut by indentured labour and sugar exported to Europe by nationalists. As the industry evolved, it provided jobs, educated our children, earned for an exchange and drove the development of our colony, colonial societies. But that was yesterday. Today, we will jointly facilitate private sector investment in the refined sugar sector,” Prime Minister Briceño said.
He also assured investors that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will be positioned as an assured market for refined sugar produced by Belizean and Guyanese producers.
Back in December 2025, GAICO Construction Inc. signed a Joint Venture Agreement with Caribbean Sugar Refinery Inc. to establish a new white sugar refinery in Guyana.
The US$20 million sugar refinery has the potential to secure the long-term future of Guyana’s sugar industry, with the new plant projected to produce 100,000 tonnes per year and designed with scalability for future expansion.
The Caribbean imports around 200,000 tonnes of refined sugar each year, totalling US$180 million in 2024. The two nations are expected to sign several agreements aimed at expanding collaboration in tourism, agriculture and digital transformation. The initiatives are intended to strengthen regional trade and investment, while advancing CARICOM’s broader integration and economic resilience agenda.