Strikes in Guatemala Causing Serious Damage to the Economy
The Guatemalan Exporters Association wishes to express to the different sectors involved in the current crisis affecting transport and the free movement of people and goods, the need to remedy the situation.
Friday, October 28, 2016
From a statement issued by the Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPORT):
Agexport, in light of the strikes held by some heavy transport drivers on different roads, ports and customs offices in the country, states:
1. We require drivers to immediately refrain from blockades and shutdowns of their units which for several hours since the morning have blocked traffic on various roads, ports and customs offices in the country.
2. Although it is true there is a need to take action to improve circulation in the capital, we ask the Municipality of Guatemala to clarify the scope of the measure announced as it is causing confusion and misunderstandings between drivers.
3. We urge the Municipality of Guatemala to set up a Roundtable with the various stakeholders, in order to seek a comprehensive and viable long-term solution.
¿Busca soluciones de inteligencia comercial para su empresa?
Because Costa Rica has imposed several restrictions on the movement of goods entering its territory, the Guatemalan government announced that it will apply reciprocal measures to Costa Rican transporters from June 9.
The union of exporters has reported losses of $145 million, and more than 12,000 shipping containers held up because of the blockades which have now been going on for more than a week.
Reports indicate that two shipping companies have suspended operations at the ports and announced they will not disembark because of "inability to ensure the safety of their staff."This is just one example of the serious damage caused to in the country by the blockades and demonstrations held by truckers for almost a week at customs offices and ports in Guatemala.
Guatemala carriers have blocked passage through customs posts at Pedro de Alvarado, Jutiapa, in protest against the excessive slowness of procedures for entering El Salvador.
The slowness of customs formalities as a result of the computer system crash caused some 300 carriers to form a blockade using their trucks from Sunday February 28th on the route to the customs office in Ciudad Pedro de Alvarado, located in Moyuta, in the Guatemalan department of Jutiapa, on the border with El Salvador.
Mexico and Guatemala have agreed a policy whereby trucks entering the Guatemalan border zone pay $970, a charge that the union considers "harmful" and that is not reciprocal.
The International Transporters' Association (ITA) will challenge the agreement which regulates transportation of cargo and passengers across the border, considering it "harmful to the interests of the country (Guatemala)", reported the newspaper Prensa Libre on its website.
×
ok
7878Government Procurement Opportunities in the region