Guatemala, an industry export giant of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, has been experiencing logistical delays due to the political unrest in the Guatemala homeland.
For the last week, Guatemalan exports have been persistently obstructed due to the protests that are impacting several aspects of the supply chain of fruits and vegetables. Local news in Guatemala has stated that the political protests and demonstrations have intensified and resulted in the closing of several roads across the country and causing road blockades that have triggered fuel shortages in some regions and making logistics/traffic very difficult on major highways. Unfortunately, the chaos has forced many maritime and trucking companies in Guatemala to reconsider and restructure operational strategies until they can secure measures that can be implemented to protect the Guatemalan people and the lives of those operating transits and logistics.
In 2022, the United States imported over 6 billion pounds of fruits and over 305 million pounds of vegetables inbound from Guatemala, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service statistics.
| Commodity | Total Imported 2022 (lbs) |
| Fruits, Fr or Froz | 5,952,206,383 |
| Fruits, Prep or Pres | 71,460,858 |
| Vegetables, Fresh | 177,193,015 |
| Vegetables, Frozen | 127,929,621 |
Source: USDA/FAS
Meanwhile, on the United States side, many if not all Guatemalan Produce Trade Association members, specifically importers and industry service providers will be attending the Global Produce and Floral Show that will be held in Anaheim, California, October 19-21 to display and discuss their products and services from Guatemala.
“As GPTA, we are severely impacted both emotionally and professionally due to the political issues that are transpiring in Guatemala. As news becomes available – we will make every effort to keep industry and our customers informed. Until this situation subsides, we have our prayers and hearts going out to those on the front lines in Guatemala,” states Priscilla Lleras, Executive Director GPTA.
For more information, please visit the Guatemala Produce Trade Association website: www.GuatemalaProduceTradeAssociation.com
