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Guatemala

On August 5, 2004, the United States signed the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) with five Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) and the Dominican Republic (the Parties). Under the Agreement, the Parties significantly liberalizes trade in goods and services.

The CAFTA-DR also includes important disciplines relating to: customs administration and trade facilitation, technical barriers to trade, government procurement, investment, telecommunications, electronic commerce, intellectual property rights, transparency and labor and environmental protection.

The Agreement entered into force for the United States and El Salvador on March 1, 2006; for, Honduras and Nicaragua on Aril 1 2006; and for Guatemala on July 1, 2006. The CAFTA-DR entered into force for the Dominican Republic on March 1, 2007, and for Costa Rica on January 1, 2009.

U.S.-Guatemala Trade Facts

In 2019, Guatemala GDP was an estimated $81.3 billion (current market exchange rates); real GDP was up by an estimated 3.6%; and the population was 18 million. (Source: IMF)

U.S. goods and services trade with Guatemala totaled an estimated $13.7 billion in 2019. Exports were $8.4 billion; imports were $5.2 billion. The U.S. goods and services trade surplus with Guatemala was $3.2 billion in 2019.

Guatemala is currently our 43th largest goods trading partner with $10.8 billion in total (two way) goods trade during 2019. Goods exports totaled $6.8 billion; goods imports totaled $4.0 billion. The U.S. goods trade surplus with Guatemala was $2.8 billion in 2019.

Trade in services with Guatemala (exports and imports) totaled an estimated $2.9 billion in 2019. Services exports were $1.6 billion; services imports were $1.3 billion. The U.S. services trade surplus with Guatemala was $388 million in 2019.

According to the Department of Commerce, U.S. exports of goods and services to Guatemala supported an estimated 34 thousand jobs in 2015 (latest data available) (25 thousand supported by goods exports and 9 thousand supported by services exports).

Exports

  • Guatemala was the United States' 36th largest goods export market in 2019.
  • U.S. goods exports to Guatemala in 2019 were $6.8 billion, up 2.6% ($172 million) from 2018 and up 75.8% from 2009. U.S. exports to Guatemala are up 140% from 2005 (pre-FTA).
  • The top export categories (2-digit HS) in 2019 were: mineral fuels ($2.4 billion), special other (medicinal and pharmaceutical) ($632 million), machinery ($443 million), cereals (corn) ($352 million), and electrical machinery ($345 million).
  • U.S. total exports of agricultural products to Guatemala totaled $1.3 billion in 2019, our 20th largest agricultural export market. Leading domestic export categories include: corn ($177 million), soybean meal ($162 million), wheat ($137 million), poultry meat & products (ex. eggs) ($132 million), and cotton ($87 million).
  • U.S. exports of services to Guatemala were an estimated $1.6 billion in 2019, 3.4% ($58 million) less than 2018, but 44.6% greater than 2009 levels.  Leading services exports from the U.S. to Guatemala were in the travel, transport, and financial services sectors.

Imports

  • Guatemala was the United States' 54th largest supplier of goods imports in 2019.
  • U.S. goods imports from Guatemala totaled $4.0 billion in 2019, down 5.2% ($220 million) from 2018, but up 26.7% from 2009. U.S. imports from Guatemala are up 27.1% from 2005 (pre-FTA).
  • The top import categories (2-digit HS) in 2019 were: edible fruit & nuts (bananas, plantains)  ($1.2 billion), knit apparel ($1.2 billion), coffee, tea & spice (coffee) ($332 million), woven apparel ($262 million), and vegetables (leguminous) ($213 million).
  • U.S. total imports of agricultural products from Guatemala totaled $2.1 billion in 2019, our 19th largest supplier of agricultural imports. Leading categories include: bananas and plantains ($972 million), unroasted coffee ($316 million), other fresh fruit ($216 million), fresh vegetables ($151 million), and processed fruit & vegetables ($129 million).
  • U.S. imports of services from Guatemala were an estimated $1.3 billion in 2019, 7.1% ($83 million) more than 2018, and 65.1% greater than 2009 levels.  Leading services imports from Guatemala to the U.S. were in the travel, telecommunications, computer, and information services, and transport sectors.

Trade Balance

  • The U.S. goods trade surplus with Guatemala was $2.8 billion in 2019, a 16.1% increase ($392 million) over 2018.
  • The United States has a services trade surplus of an estimated $388 million with Guatemala in 2019, down 26.7% from 2018.

Investment

  • U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in Guatemala (stock) was $746 million in 2019, a 1.8% increase from 2018.
  • Guatemala's FDI in the United States (stock) was $9 million in 2019. There is no information on the distribution of Guatemala FDI in the U.S.
  • Sales of services in Guatemala by majority U.S.-owned affiliates were $733 million in 2017 (latest data available). There were no sales of services in the United States by majority Guatemala owned firms in 2017.