Browse Data and Analysis

U.S. agricultural exporters of consumer-oriented products are well-positioned to increase sales to Guatemala. In 2023, U.S. consumer-oriented export values reached a third-consecutive record on 15 percent growth from the previous year (Figure 3).

The Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Food (MAGA) regulates Guatemala's genetically engineered (GE) plants and animals.

Honduras has made no modifications to its existing regulatory framework regarding genetically engineered (GE) crops. As of October 2024, planted area of GE corn in Honduras has increased by 29 percent from the previous year, rising from 52,000 to 67,000 hectares. In 2024, the National Committee on Biotechnology and Biosecurity approved six events.

The National Plant, Animal Health and Food Safety Service (SENASA) is the regulatory agency in Honduras that is responsible for the inspection of all agricultural products that enter the country.

SENASA and ARSA have made significant progress in expediting import procedures with the introduction of online options for requesting import permits and sanitary authorizations of imported raw materials that provide immediate electronic delivery to ports of entry.

This report contains the list of all the mandatory export certificates required by the Government of Guatemala for agricultural imports.

Guatemala adopted the Central American Regional Technical Regulation RTCA 67.01.31:20, which updates the food product registration process. The regulation entered into effect on August 5, 2024, superseding previous regulation RTCA 67.031:07.

In 2023, the Guatemalan market showed significant potential for growth, with supermarkets, hypermarkets, and independent food stores expanding their locations.

In 2023, Honduras’s consumer-oriented imports from the United States reached $553 million, making it the second-largest importer in Central America, after Guatemala.

Central Asia is a diverse, important corner of the world and a growing market for U.S. goods. Agricultural imports from the world for Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Uzbekistan totaled $11.6 billion in 2023 and have nearly doubled over the last three years, with the United States as the 11th largest trade partner at $196 million.

Guatemala ranked as the #16 largest U.S. agricultural export market despite a nine percent decline, mainly due to lower imports of bulk commodities in 2023, reaching $1.6 million. It's crucial to remember that Guatemala, relying on foreign exchange by international trade, remittances, and tourism, is the largest economy in Central America, with an estimated gross domestic product (GDP) of $102.8 billion, a 19-million-person market, and relative economic stability.

The total value of U.S. agricultural exports to Honduras in 2023 reached $1.3 billion, with a 39 percent (%) market share, and a 4 % decrease from the previous year.