GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Prime Minister Mark Phillips says Guyana’s trade with China reached approximately US$1.8 billion in 2025, while the country’s exports to the Asian market climbing to a record US$501 million.

“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 told a reception marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Phillips said the figure represents a significant expansion in the trading relationship, with China also remaining one of Guyana’s major sources of imports.

Guyana’s Bureau of Statistics recorded US$1.287 billion in imports from China in 2025, making it the country’s third-largest source of imports, behind Singapore and the United States.

Chinese imports accounted for 12.6 per cent of Guyana’s total imports for the year with the official figures putting the two-way merchandise trade at an estimated US$1.79 billion.

The Chinese Embassy has separately cited a higher US$2.89 billion figure for bilateral trade in 2025.

Guyana’s overall exports continue to be dominated by oil, which accounted for 88.4 per cent of the country’s US$20.14 billion in exports in 2025, according to the Bureau of Statistics.

Phillips said Guyana’s growing economy was creating further opportunities for commerce with China, as the government seeks to diversify the economy beyond oil while expanding infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture, energy and other sectors.

The Prime Minister also pointed to areas where Guyana and China could deepen cooperation, including renewable energy, smart infrastructure, modern transportation and urban development.

Chinese Ambassador Yang Yang said Chinese companies had accumulated around US$13 billion in investment in Guyana by the end of 2025, citing projects including the Demerara River Bridge, six regional hospitals and the Aurora Solar Farm.

Chinese state-owned energy company CNOOC also holds a 25 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block, giving China a direct commercial stake in Guyana’s largest oil-producing asset.