Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) President William Brown yesterday called for the region to have a greater say in the policies, financing arrangements and technologies shaping maritime trade, warning that solutions designed for larger markets could fail to meet Caribbean needs.
Speaking at the opening of the association’s 56th Annual General Meeting, Conference and Exhibition in Georgetown, Brown said the region must participate in decisions from the outset rather than be asked to adjust after rules had been settled.
The conference, hosted by the Shipping Association of Guyana at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, brings together shipping executives, port operators, policymakers and other industry representatives. Its programme runs from October 25 to 28.
Brown said differences in cargo volumes, port infrastructure and costs meant that approaches developed for larger economies could not simply be transferred to the Caribbean.
This applied to decarbonisation, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, port development and logistics, he said. Financing and technology had to accommodate the conditions under which regional operators worked.
Brown pointed to Guyana’s oil-driven expansion as an illustration of the choices confronting the industry. Growing economic activity was creating demand for greater port capacity, more efficient systems, stronger institutions and skilled workers, even as shipping faced pressure to move away from carbon-based fuels.
The question, he said, was whether the opportunities generated by the present energy economy could finance the ports, technology and skills needed for a low-carbon future. He argued that this was a regional issue rather than one for Guyana alone.
Brown said the association had been expanding its engagement with international and regional institutions to strengthen the industry’s influence over decisions affecting financing, standards and technical support.
However, he said greater international visibility must be accompanied by efforts to bring smaller Caribbean territories more fully into the association’s work.
He welcomed renewed participation from Grenada and The Bahamas and said the CSA intended to reconnect with smaller members whose involvement had declined.
The development of sustainable trade within the Caribbean, he said, required cooperation extending beyond shipping companies to governments and the ministries responsible for trade, industry and agriculture. Brown identified port development, connectivity and workforce development as central priorities for the industry.
Although external shipping services connected the region to international markets, barriers continued to impede trade between Caribbean countries, he said. Stronger regional shipping links were essential to building a larger and more resilient Caribbean market.
He also cautioned that investment in infrastructure and technology would not deliver its full benefits without sufficient attention to workers.
“Ports can be modernized, ships can be digitalized, but neither will deliver without a workforce to crew them,” Brown said.
As artificial intelligence and other technologies changed maritime operations, the industry needed to attract, train and retain people, he added.
“Maritime talent is not a secondary concern. It is the foundation on which everything else rests.”
Brown urged delegates to challenge proposals during the conference and assess them against conditions in their own ports, countries and businesses.
In his welcome remarks, Shipping Association of Guyana Chairman Komal Singh similarly called for closer regional cooperation, saying economic expansion alone would not guarantee a competitive maritime sector.
“Our challenge is to ensure that the pace of maritime development keeps up with the pace of economic growth,” Singh said.
He identified modernisation of ports and maritime infrastructure, greater efficiency and stronger regional shipping connections as priorities.
Growing trade required adequate navigational channels, cargo-handling facilities and reliable shipping services, he said. At the same time, delays in vessel turnaround, cargo clearance and logistics added costs which ultimately affected consumers.
Singh urged operators and authorities to use technology, simplify procedures and improve coordination to address costs within their control.
Despite the proximity of Caribbean countries, he said, moving goods between them remained more expensive and complicated than it should be.
Expansion in agriculture, manufacturing and energy-related services offered opportunities for trade, but these depended on reliable, affordable and commercially sustainable shipping connections.
“Our ports must not simply compete with one another. We must complement one another, forming part of a stronger and more integrated Caribbean maritime network,” Singh said.
He added that Guyana’s growth offered opportunities for wider Caribbean investment and partnerships, arguing that the industry’s future would depend on collective improvements rather than the success of any single port or country.
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