We are yet to hear any further details of what we were told was a string of unfortunate occurrences that led to a number of exhibitors from Guyana being unable to participate in an Atlanta, USA trade fair and exhibition in which they had invested considerable sums of money, hoping, presumably, to recoup (at least) some of their investments through sales and, in the longer term, to create more permanent markets.
The problem, we were told, had to do with disquiet on the part of the Customs authorities in the United States over the manner in which the exhibits were shipped; a circumstance, we presume, that has to do with the enhanced assertiveness of the US authorities in matters pertaining to keeping out unwanted food imports. Whatever the specifics of the problem, we were told at the time that the decision by the Customs authorities to impound – at least for a period – the consignment which should have found its way to the Atlanta event meant that some of the would-be exhibitors were unable to participate in the event.
It should be mentioned at this point that the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) which customarily provides various forms of support to art and craft producers attending trade fairs and exhibitions outside Guyana was involved in supporting this exercise; though we
