Daily Brief – Friday, April 3, 2026
April 3, 2026 • 5 min readFriday, April 3, 2026 — Good Friday. Things are getting crucified out there.
TRUMP HITS GUYANA WITH 38% TARIFF — HIGHEST IN THE CARIBBEAN
In what is arguably the biggest economic news of the year so far, President Donald Trump announced sweeping global tariffs effective April 5, imposing a baseline 10% on most Caribbean nations — but a punishing 38% on Guyana. The tariff is framed as a “reciprocal” trade measure, though analysts note Guyana’s trade deficit with the US is driven almost entirely by oil imports, not an imbalance that typically invites retaliation. CARICOM’s private sector body CPSO says credible analysis is needed before a full response can be given. Guyana’s private sector is reportedly closely tracking developments. The US Ambassador spent last week telling Guyana not to renegotiate its Exxon contract. This week, her government slapped Guyana’s exports with a 38% tariff. You really cannot make this up.
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