Following the Cargo: Why the Region’s Shipping Leaders Are Heading to Guyana
There is much happening in Guyana, making Georgetown a timely setting for the Caribbean Shipping Association’s 56th Annual General Meeting, Conference and Exhibition, which runs from October 25 to 28, 2026. Hosted by the Shipping Association of Guyana, the event will bring together representatives of ports and shipping lines, regulators and logistics executives from across the region.
Guyana’s oil-led growth has changed how cargo moves around the Caribbean, and its ports and terminals along the Demerara River are racing to keep up. That puts the country in an unusual position. It is grappling with questions the rest of us will face sooner or later. How much capacity do we really need? Which systems break first under pressure? Are we training enough people to run it all? CSA President William Brown described the lesson as what growth “demands of our industry,” and he pointed to a harder question: how do we serve today’s demand while building a lower-carbon sector that fits Caribbean routes, volumes and costs?
The need to meet current demand while building a more sustainable maritime sector is a recurring theme throughout the conference programme. Delegates will dig into the net-zero transition, digitalization, artificial intelligence, resilient infrastructure and workforce development. All these issues matter, but the session on intra-Caribbean trade deserves particular attention. It continues a conversation that began in Curaçao back in May, and this time the aim is to move past listing the barriers and work out how regional institutions can turn policy promises into results people can measure.
It matters to us here in Saint Lucia. Moving goods between neighbouring islands is still harder and more expensive than it should be. It is the problem behind much of what the Chamber of Shipping has been working on, from the intra-regional vessel concept to the push to build up our export volumes. Our own export data shows regular shipments of mixed cargo to Barbados, Saint Vincent and Grenada, This is exactly the kind of trade that suffers when connections are limited and costs are high. Seeing the region’s umbrella shipping body give this real weight is encouraging.
CSA General Manager Milaika Capella-Ras has said she wants delegates to leave with practical insights and partnerships, not just notes. Port tours along the Demerara River and an exhibition connecting suppliers with decision-makers are built into the week for that reason. It is a sensible approach. Many regional conferences produce good ideas and then fade, so a focus on follow-through is welcome.
There is also a lesson for smaller ports like ours. Guyana is dealing with capacity, skills and sustainability all at once, and it is doing so at scale. Our challenges are smaller, but they are similar. Planning early, training people before the cargo arrives and keeping an eye on cleaner operations are far easier when you start ahead of the pressure.
The Chamber will follow the conference outcomes closely, particularly those relating to inter-island connectivity. Conferences are only worth what comes after them, and we intend to ensure Saint Lucia is ready to act on the opportunities emerging from Georgetown.
