The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Guatemalan global shipments during 2020. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Guatemala.

1. Coffee, tea, spices: US$1.8 billion (15.4% of total exports)
2. Fruits, nuts: $1.3 billion (11.2%)
3. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $1.1 billion (9.1%)
4. Sugar, sugar confectionery: $712.6 million (6.1%)
5. Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $578.6 million (5%)
6. Iron, steel: $457.7 million (3.9%)
7. Vegetables: $372.2 million (3.2%)
8. Plastics, plastic articles: $367.2 million (3.1%)
9. Paper, paper items: $335.2 million (2.9%)
10. Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $286.5 million (2.5%)

Guatemala’s top 10 exports accounted for 62.4% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Coffee, tea and spices was the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 36.3% from 2019 to 2020.

In second place for improving export sales were animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes via a 17.8% gain.

Up by 16.7%, Guatemala’s shipments of iron or steel posted the third-fastest gain in value.

The leading decliner among Guatemala’s top 10 export categories was beverages, spirits and vinegar thanks to a -13.2% drop year over year. Notable decliners were liquor, malt beer and waters.

At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, spices like nutmeg and cardamoms represent Guatemala’s most valuable exported product at 9.7% of the country’s total. In second place were bananas and plantains (8.2%), trailed by coffee (5.6%), sugar (5%), palm oil (4%), iron ferroalloys (2.8%), knitted or crocheted men’s shirts (2.4%), knitted or crocheted jerseys and pullovers (2.3%), women’s blouses and shirts (2.2%) then packaged insecticides, fungicides and herbicides (1.8%).

The following types of Guatemalan product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports reflect the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Coffee, tea, spices: US$1.8 billion (Up by 37.2% since 2019)
2. Fruits, nuts: $1.2 billion (Up by 4.3%)
3. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $978.4 million (Down by -5%)
4. Sugar, sugar confectionery: $644.8 million (Down by -13%)
5. Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $381 million (Up by 19.1%)
6. Vegetables: $318 million (Up by 4.3%)
7. Live trees, plants, cut flowers: $84.5 million (Down by -4.9%)
8. Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $73.5 million (Down by -15.3%)
9. Ores, slag, ash: $55.7 million (Up by 146%)
10. Soaps, washing preparations, lubricants, waxes: $44.4 million (Up by 69.1%)

Guatemala has notably positive net exports in the international trade of coffee and the spice cardamom. In turn, these cashflows indicate Guatemala’s strong competitive advantages under the coffee, tea and spices product category.

Below are exports from Guatemala that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Guatemala’s goods trail Guatemalan importer spending on foreign products.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: -US$1.9 billion (Down by -32.2% since 2019)
2. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$1.5 billion (Down by -5.7%)
3. Machinery including computers: -$1.3 billion (Down by -5.4%)
4. Vehicles : -$1.2 billion (Down by -13.6%)
5. Plastics, plastic articles: -$713.4 million (Down by -3.8%)
6. Cereals: -$547.3 million (Up by 11.7%)
7. Pharmaceuticals: -$422.5 million (Down by -1.7%)
8. Organic chemicals: -$310.9 million (Up by 13%)
9. Paper, paper items: -$262.4 million (Down by -34.2%)
10. Fertilizers: -$247.3 million (Up by 14.5%)

Guatemala has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for fossil fuels related products particularly refined petroleum oils, coal and petroleum gases.

These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Guatemala’s competitive disadvantages in the international fossil fuels-related market, but also represent key opportunities for Guatemala to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations particularly on alternative energy sources.

Guatemalan Export Companies

Wikipedia lists exporting businesses from Guatemala. Selected examples are shown below.

• Claro Americas (telecommunications)
• Corporación Multi Inversiones (agro-industrial conglomerate)
• Malher (food, beverages)
• Ron Zacapa Centenario (premium rum)
• Trama Textiles (hand-made woven goods)