Guyana-China trade reaches US$1.8 billion as exports hit record high
Key Points(5)
- Trade between Guyana and China reached approximately US$1.8 billion in 2025, with Guyanese exports to the Asian country climbing to a record US$501 million, Prime Minister Mark Phillips has said.
- Phillips disclosed the figures during a reception marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, describing 2025 as Guyana’s strongest year of trade with China to date.
- “In 2025, two-way trade between Guyana and China reached approximately US$1.8 billion, and Guyana’s exports to China grew to US$501 million, our strongest performance in trade to date, which raised China to the eighth spot as our largest export destination,” Phillips said.
- China also remained one of Guyana’s largest sources of imports.
- According to Guyana’s Bureau of Statistics, the country imported US$1.287 billion worth of goods from China in 2025, making China its third-largest source of imports behind Singapore and the United States.
Trade between Guyana and China reached approximately US$1.8 billion in 2025, with Guyanese exports to the Asian country climbing to a record US$501 million, Prime Minister Mark Phillips has said.
Phillips disclosed the figures during a reception marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, describing 2025 as Guyana’s strongest year of trade with China to date.
“In 2025, two-way trade between Guyana and China reached approximately US$1.8 billion, and Guyana’s exports to China grew to US$501 million, our strongest performance in trade to date, which raised China to the eighth spot as our largest export destination,” Phillips said.
China also remained one of Guyana’s largest sources of imports.
According to Guyana’s Bureau of Statistics, the country imported US$1.287 billion worth of goods from China in 2025, making China its third-largest source of imports behind Singapore and the United States.
Chinese goods accounted for 12.6 percent of Guyana’s total imports during the year. Combined with the US$501 million in exports cited by Phillips, the figures put two-way merchandise trade at approximately US$1.79 billion.
The Chinese Embassy has separately cited bilateral trade of US$2.89 billion for 2025, higher than the figures reported by Guyanese authorities.
Guyana’s exports remain heavily dominated by petroleum, which accounted for 88.4 percent of the country’s US$20.14 billion in exports in 2025, according to the Bureau of Statistics.
Phillips said Guyana’s rapidly expanding economy is creating additional opportunities for trade and investment with China as the government seeks to diversify economic activity beyond oil.
He identified infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture and energy among sectors with further growth potential, while also pointing to opportunities for deeper cooperation in renewable energy, smart infrastructure, modern transportation and urban development.
Chinese Ambassador Yang Yang said Chinese companies had accumulated approximately US$13 billion in investments in Guyana by the end of 2025.
She cited projects including the Demerara River Bridge, six regional hospitals and the Aurora Solar Farm.
China also has a direct commercial interest in Guyana’s offshore oil industry through state-owned CNOOC, which holds a 25 percent stake in the Stabroek Block, the country's main oil-producing asset.
