Guyana Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in guyana, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Import Tariffs
Last published date:

Guyana is a member of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM).  Guyana maintains a Common External Tariff (CET) rate that ranges from 5 percent to 20 percent.  A tariff rate of 40 percent applies only to agricultural products.  All duties are value added.  The customs act allows for the National Assembly to impose import or export duties on any goods.  Additionally, the GoG levies VAT at a rate of 14 percent, applied equally to imports and locally produced goods and services.  Though there are certain exceptions such as renewable energy technologies.  VAT on merchandise imports is calculated based on the cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) value plus the sum of import duties and any other taxes and charges.  Businesses producing taxable supplies of goods and services (at the standard and/or zero rates) of GYD 15 million or more, over a 12-month period, must be VAT-registered.  More information on VAT is available through the GRA website.

The Excise Tax Act of 2005 bestows responsibility for the administration of excise taxes on the GRA Commissioner.  Excise taxes are charged on items which are considered consumables.  The tax is charged on the following: alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, petroleum products, and vehicles.  An excise tax is applied to the total value of each item upon entry to Guyana.  The total value is inclusive of freight insurance, customs duties, fees, and other charges.

Excise taxes may be waived by the Commissioner General of the GRA if items imported are for temporary use.  In such circumstances, goods must be exported within three months and a deposit left with the Commissioner General.  Goods that include excise taxes are also subject to VAT.  An importer must pay the tax before the goods are cleared for use in Guyana. More information on the excise tax is available through the GRA website. 

Under the Customs Act, Guyana levies an environmental tax approximately USD $0.05 on every unit of non-returnable metal, plastic, glass, or cardboard container of any alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage imported into Guyana.  The tax is paid to the GRA.  More information on the environmental tax is available through the GRA website.

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility