More information about Suriname is available on the Suriname Country Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.
U.S.-SURINAME RELATIONS
The United States and Suriname enjoy a close and constructive partnership. Together the two countries work to promote joint economic prosperity, deepen trade ties, and defend and advance respect for democracy and human rights in the region.
The more than 500 alumni of U.S. government exchange programs continue to use their new knowledge, networks, and passion for community service to advance efforts to combat corruption, advance democratic values, expand media literacy, support entrepreneurs, and ensure the protection of domestic violence victims.
Through cultural, sports, and environmental programming and exchanges we highlight the many shared values we hold dear. The two countries also work together to enhance the security and prosperity of the region through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), to strengthen military-to-military cooperation, and to promote a more economically prosperous Suriname with a developed civil society infrastructure through cultural and educational programs and exchanges.
U.S. Assistance to Suriname
The United States government conducts subject matter expert exchanges and shares best practices with Surinamese military and law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, government employees, and policymakers to build capacity and bolster democratic institutions both in Suriname and the region at large.
As one of thirteen Caribbean partners under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), Suriname benefits from U.S. counternarcotics and law enforcement assistance focused on disrupting illicit trafficking, strengthening citizen security, and preventing youth crime and violence.
The United States and Suriname work together under the U.S.-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis (PACC 2030), which elevates U.S. cooperation with Caribbean countries to support climate adaptation and strengthen energy security, while building the resilience of critical infrastructure and local economies to the climate crisis.
Specifically, U.S. assistance facilitates professionalization and respect for civilian authority over the military, improved capacity to identify and prosecute money laundering; and more effective combatting of illegal narcotics trafficking, trafficking in persons, corruption, and other crimes.
The United States also sponsored Suriname’s participation in the Container Control Program of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a regional project addressing port security and combatting trafficking in illicit goods.
Working with non-governmental institutions and individuals, the two nations support health initiatives and advocate equal rights for all citizens. Through the Department’s Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF), a team of alumni are undertaking a year-long effort to provide guidance to community leaders to combat domestic violence and develop resources for the victims of such violence.
Over the years, the U.S. embassy has organized an annual, five-week film festival with accompanying study guides for more than 8,000 junior high and high school students in January/February. This festival features movies focusing on civil rights to promote equal rights for all citizens and to celebrate the achievements of those of African descent.
The U.S. Department of Defense donated a field hospital valued at $900,000 and more than $650,000 for humanitarian assistance projects in 2021.
SOUTHCOM donated $15,000 of protective gear to the Health Ministry on June 22, 2021. USAID gave UNICEF Suriname $36,167 for infection protection control through water sanitation and hygiene and $185,000 to PAHO Suriname to finance efforts in risk communication, infection prevention and control, and case management.
The U.S. embassy also donated $50,000 of PPE to the Education Ministry for secondary school students. And through the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.S. secured almost $400,000 in diagnostic and biosafety equipment to help Suriname detect COVID-19. The South Dakota National Guard utilized $15,000 to renovate the public school in Magenta Polder and SOUTHCOM donated $30,000 to the Ministry of Education for continued renovations.
The SDNG also utilized $45,000 to provide medical and dental care to the Surinamese people in the areas of Atjoni, Brownsweg, and Brokopondo. USAID works in Suriname to advance health, the environment, energy, food security, and the business environment.
Bilateral Economic Relations
Suriname’s emerging economy creates new possibilities for U.S. exports and investments. In 2021, trade in good between the United States and Suriname totaled $367.8 million.
The United States remains one of Suriname’s principal trading partners. U.S. companies have long-standing investments in the extractive industries, including Surgold, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Newmont Mining, which opened a gold mine and refinery in Suriname in 2016. U.S. companies also have agreements for oil and gas exploration with state oil company Staatsolie.
Principal U.S. exports to Suriname include chemicals, excavating machinery and other machine parts, and food, including meat and poultry. There is wide availability of U.S. consumer products through Suriname’s privately held trading and import-export companies.
Opportunities for U.S. exporters, service companies, and engineering firms are expected to continue to expand over the next decade, with increased activity in the mining and oil sectors by U.S. companies. Suriname is looking to U.S. and other foreign investors to assist in the commercial development of its vast natural resources and to help finance infrastructure improvements.
Suriname’s Membership in International Organizations
Suriname is a member of a number of international organizations, including the United Nations, Organization of American States, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the International Monetary Fund, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the Organization for Islamic Cooperation.
Bilateral Representation
Principal U.S. embassy officials are listed in the Department’s Key Officers List.
Suriname maintains an embassy in the United States at 4201 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-244-7488; fax. 202-244-5878) and a consulate general at 6303 Blue Lagoon Drive, Suite 325, Miami, FL 33126 (tel. 305-265-4655, fax 305-265-4599).
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