made it clear that the decision to impose charges for the use of the Corantijn River is not a new policy measure. Guyana has formally objected to new charges reportedly imposed by Suriname for the use of the Corantijn River, with President Irfaan Ali calling the move a troubling disruption to cross-border commerce.

President Ali warns that the fees impacting key sectors like timber and quarrying risk undermining long-standing bilateral arrangements and eroding business confidence between the two neighbours. According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the current structure for the charges is based on the existing legal decrees for the Surinamese waters. The government emphasized that these measures are being imposed on all vessels in a consistent and non-discriminatory manner. The measures are also in accordance with national legislation and relevant international standards for safety, navigation and maintenance of waterways. The Foreign Affairs Ministry explained that a letter regarding the issue was sent to Guyana via the diplomatic mission of Guyana on January 12th, 2026. But the Surinamese government which still has not received a formal response made it clear that in 2012 Suriname issued an exemption on certain charges but only for vessels that supported the operations of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). The Foreign Affairs Ministry made it clear that the exemption was issued as part of collaboration and that it was never supposed to be applied outside of its scope. The current charges for use of the Corantijn River does not deviate from previous agreements. The government explained that if Guyana wants to discuss the 2012 exemption or if it wants to expand it, it must file a request via the diplomatic channels.