Trading Partner Portal: Guatemala
Ambassador Greer Signs the United States-Guatemala Agreement on Reciprocal Trade
United States Trade Representative, January 30, 2026
Joint Statement on Framework for United States-Guatemala Agreement on Reciprocal Trade
The White House, November 13, 2025
Trade Overview
As the most populous country in Central America, Guatemala has a population of 18.69 million people, and it is roughly the size of Tennessee. Guatemala is part of the Central America Common Market and has a GDP of $123.31 billion. U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. – Guatemala Trade
The United States is Guatemala’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade in 2025 totaling $15.19 billion. The United States exported $10.02 billion to Guatemala, with top products being petroleum & coal ($3.75 billion), processed foods ($1.36 billion), chemicals ($764 million), agricultural products ($703 million), and computer and electronic products ($512 million). Guatemala is currently the U.S.’s 35th export destination.
The United States imported $5.17 billion from Guatemala including agricultural products ($2.41 billion), apparel & accessories ($1.53 billion), processed foods ($583 million), beverages and tobacco products ($109 million), and goods returned ($76 million). (U.S. Department of Commerce)
Reported exports in services from the U.S. to Guatemala totaled $2.87 billion in 2025, with top exports being travel, transport services, financial services, other business services, and telecommunications, computer, & information services.
Services imports totaled $1.62 billion, with the top services from Guatemala to the U.S. being travel, transport services, financial services, other business services, and government goods & services.
California – Guatemala Trade
As California’s 33rd largest export partner, Guatemala imported over $712 million worth of California goods in 2025. Top products from the U.S. to Guatemala were petroleum and coal products ($298 million), used and second-hand merchandise ($75 million), processed foods ($74 million), transportation equipment ($58 million), and agricultural products ($53 million).
California imported approximately $704 million from Guatemala in this same year. With its top categories being agricultural products ($299 million), apparel and accessories ($253 million), processed foods ($112 million), beverages and tobacco products ($8 million), and goods returned ($5 million). (U.S. Department of Commerce)
FDI – Guatemala
In 2025, Guatemala’s foreign direct investment into the U.S. totaled $10 million. (BEA)
More Articles:
Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean
ECLAC, December 2025
Trade Agreements and Issues
U.S. – Dominican Republic – Central American Free Trade Agreement
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.
President Bush signed the US-DR/CAFTA on August 2, 2005, giving final U.S. approval of the agreement. This follows a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 28 and the U.S. Senate on June 30, 2005. The governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic have implemented the agreement as of March 2007. Costa Rica ratified CAFTA completely in 2008.
The United States and the five Central American countries shared over $52.6 billion in total (two-way) trade in goods in 2015. U.S. goods exports to Central America totaled $29.9 billion in 2015. Leading U.S. exports to Central America include petroleum and coal, computers, chemicals, and food manufactures. Leading U.S. imports from Central America include apparel products, agricultural products, manufactured commodities, and transportation equipment. The U.S. is the main supplier of goods and services to Central American economies. Forty percent of total goods imports by Central America come from the United States.
California exports to the DR-CAFTA market totaled over $1.8 billion in 2015, making it the 4th largest state exporter.
For More information, see CalChamber’s DR-CAFTA Trade Issue page.
Events
Central American Ambassadors Promote Benefits of Trade Agreement with U.S.
Pictured (left to right): California Chamber President Allan Zaremberg (at podium); John Murphy, U.S. Chamber; Ambassador Jose Guillermo Castillo of Guatemala; Barry Sedlik, undersecretary, Business, Transportation and Housing Agency; Ambassador Tomás Duenas of Costa Rica.
(March 9, 2005) The California Chamber of Commerce hosted five ambassadors representing the nations included in the proposed U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) at an International Luncheon Forum yesterday.
The CAFTA was signed on May 28, 2004, in Washington, D.C. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick signed on behalf of the United States. Trade ministers from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua signed on behalf of their countries. On August 5, 2004, representatives from the United States and the Dominican Republic signed an agreement formally including the Dominican Republic in the agreement.
CalChamber Resources
Business
- U.S. Commercial Service in Guatemala
- AmCham Trade Center
- Select AmCham Doing Business Reports: Guatemala
- Secretary of Central American Economic Integration
- Ministry of Economy