By April, Guatemala had exported $582 million dollars in agricultural products to the US, i.e. 48% of Guatemalan exports to that country. Due to their importance, and to the high volumes of perishable products the country provides them, Federal agents from the US Government, AGEXPORT, and the Trade Attaches, Investment and Tourism Program (PACIT) are conducting a workshop about good agricultural practices and the regulation changes in plant health and packing to strengthen trade relations between both countries.
76% of all the agricultural products that Guatemala exported to the US in 2015 were perishable products. The country sold 1.156 billion dollars of fresh or dried bananas, melons, peas, watermelon vegetables, edible fruits, berries, ornamental plant cuttings, papayas, broccoli, macadamia nuts, mangoes, and peppers, among other perishable products.
Federal agents and representatives from the airport and the port of Miami toured 3 Guatemalan plantations that produce and export flowers, berries, snow peas and vegetables. The goal of their visit was to see the high standards that the Guatemalan companies are using regarding plant health and packaging.
100 businessmen from the perishable products sectors and logistics companies attended the informational workshop. There, they learned about different topics, such as import requirements for agricultural products, considerations when exporting to the US, the logistics of perishables, risk analysis and updates on MRA, and plant quarantine procedures in Miami, among others.
Source: perspectiva.com.gt