Guatemala: Visió econòmica i política
Regional integration is a priority of Guatemalan foreign policy, and trade represents 55% of GDP (World Bank, latest data available). However, poverty, violence, and political uncertainty remain the greatest obstacles to increased trade. The country mainly exports coffee (7.1%), bananas (6.8%), palm oil (5.8%), cane or beet sugar (5.1%), and jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, waistcoats, and similar (3.3%); while imports are led by petroleum oils (13.9%), telephone sets (3.1%), motor cars and other motor vehicles (2.4%), medicaments (2.4%), motor vehicles for the transport of goods (2% - data Comtrade 2022).
In 2022, Guatemala’s main export partners were the United States (32.3%), El Salvador (13.0%), Honduras (10.0%), Nicaragua (6.3%), and Mexico (4.4%). As per imports, they came chiefly from the United States (32.0%), China (18.2%), Mexico (10.1%), El Salvador (3.3%), and Costa Rica (2.5% - data Comtrade). Guatemala is one of five countries in the Central American Common Market (CACM) along with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The country is also a member of the Central American Integration System (SICA). The European Union supports this integration process, which was one of the conditions of an agreement between the two regions. Guatemala is, after Nicaragua, the second-largest recipient of European cooperation aid in Central America and benefits from the Generalized Scheme of Preferences.
The country’s trade balance is structurally in deficit. According to data by the WTO, in 2022, exports of goods reached USD 15.7 billion, while imports stood at USD 32.1 billion. As for services, Guatemala imported USD 5.4 billion, while exported USD 3.9 billion. According to the World Bank, the country’s trade deficit reached 16.6% of its GDP in 2022 (from 14.1% one year earlier). Figures from the Banco de Guatemala show that the country’s exports of goods totaled USD 14.2 billion in 2023, against USD 25.9 billion in imports.
Foreign Trade Values | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
Imports of Goods (million USD) | 19,882 | 18,205 | 26,607 | 32,116 | 30,318 |
Exports of Goods (million USD) | 11,175 | 11,521 | 13,753 | 15,695 | 14,199 |
Imports of Services (million USD) | 3,641 | 2,826 | 4,054 | 5,415 | 0 |
Exports of Services (million USD) | 3,679 | 2,586 | 2,885 | 3,861 | 0 |
Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data
Foreign Trade Indicators | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) | 47.0 | 45.5 | 41.1 | 49.5 | 54.7 |
Trade Balance (million USD) | -7,985 | -7,967 | -6,314 | -10,887 | -14,186 |
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) | -7,819 | -7,929 | -6,554 | -12,070 | -15,789 |
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | 3.9 | 4.9 | -5.8 | 19.5 | 4.4 |
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | -0.4 | 0.2 | -7.5 | 10.3 | 7.0 |
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 28.8 | 27.9 | 24.8 | 31.8 | 35.7 |
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 18.2 | 17.6 | 16.3 | 17.7 | 19.0 |
Source: World Bank ; Latest available data
Foreign Trade Forecasts | 2023 | 2024 (e) | 2025 (e) | 2026 (e) | 2027 (e) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) | -4.7 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) | 5.2 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 |
Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data
Note: (e) Estimated Data
Main Customers (% of Exports) |
2023 |
United States | 32.3% |
El Salvador | 13.1% |
Honduras | 11.4% |
Nicaragua | 6.9% |
Mexico | 4.7% |
Costa Rica | 4.5% |
Netherlands | 4.4% |
Panama | 2.2% |
Spain | 2.0% |
Dominican Republic | 1.7% |
Belize | 1.1% |
Canada | 1.0% |
Japan | 1.0% |
Italy | 0.9% |
Chile | 0.9% |
Saudi Arabia | 0.8% |
Belgium | 0.7% |
Ecuador | 0.7% |
Germany | 0.7% |
United Kingdom | 0.6% |
See More Countries | 31.5% |
Main Suppliers (% of Imports) |
2023 |
United States | 30.3% |
China | 18.5% |
Mexico | 10.7% |
El Salvador | 3.4% |
Japan | 2.7% |
Costa Rica | 2.7% |
Brazil | 2.4% |
Germany | 2.1% |
India | 2.1% |
Colombia | 2.1% |
Honduras | 2.0% |
Vietnam | 1.7% |
Canada | 1.6% |
South Korea | 1.6% |
Argentina | 1.3% |
Spain | 1.2% |
Italy | 1.1% |
Thailand | 0.9% |
Chile | 0.7% |
Indonesia | 0.6% |
See More Countries | 34.5% |
Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.
Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.
To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows.
3.3 bn USD of services exported in 2022 | |
30.38% | |
Personal travelPersonal travel | 24.61% |
OtherOther | 51.69% |
Business travelBusiness travel | 5.77% |
22.74% | |
19.36% | |
17.93% | |
4.29% | |
2.68% | |
1.47% | |
0.60% | |
0.53% | |
0.01% |
5.4 bn USD of services imported in 2022 | |
50.26% | |
17.78% | |
Personal travelPersonal travel | 13.98% |
OtherOther | 31.97% |
Business travelBusiness travel | 3.79% |
7.52% | |
7.04% | |
5.67% | |
3.98% | |
3.53% | |
2.37% | |
1.58% | |
0.27% |
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.
Vols fer algun comentari sobre aquest contingut? Escriu-nos.
© eexpand, Tots els drets reservats.
Actualitzacions: April 2024
Utilitzem cookies per assegurar la teva connexió i fer estadístiques sobre el nombre de visites. Per obtenir més informació sobre les cookies i saber com rebutjar-les, visita la nostra pàgina de política de cookies .
Aquesta finestra emergent et permet definir la teva preferència de cookies i decidir quin tipus de cookies vols permetre al teu dispositiu.