The opening of an office in the People's Republic of China and the signing of an agreement with the Arab League, mark the government's strategy to open new markets.
The Guatemalan President Otto Perez, said they are making efforts to initiate trade relations with China, for this reason the chancellor, Fernando Carrera, will lead a delegation to the country in two months time, in order to explore investment areas.
The 'Ventanilla Única para las Exportaciones' or VUPE and the Regímenes de Perfeccionamiento Activo or OPA, have launched a new unified website.
From a press release by the Guatemalan Association of Exports (AGEXPORT):
In order to offer exporters and the general public ease in obtaining information relating to the export sector, the Ventanilla Única para las Exportaciones -VUPE- and the Oficina de Regímenes de Perfeccionamiento Activo -OPA-have launched a new unified website which provides the following features:
In the next two years, the RMB or Chinese yuan could become one of the major currencies used in global trade.
This was said in London by Douglas Flint, chairman of HSBC Holdings SA, adding that "the renminbi (RMB) will be a growing part of normal business in the everyday life for anyone who trades or invests in China."
"All international business with an eye on China should consider the potential benefits of using the RMB and the investment opportunities in RMB that have been created around the world with the support of the burgeoning overseas markets, particularly in foreign bonds markets," he said.
In the past two years six cooperatives producing farmed shrimp improved their production by 175%, and entered the European market.
From an article by the Costa Rican Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
As a result of a project initiated by the Enterprise and Employment Programme, part of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), six cooperatives of shrimp farmers in Nicaragua, located in the Estero Real, Chinandega, improved their production by 175% and entered the European market in the past two years.
Exports from the region registered a FOB value of U.S. $2.478 billion, an increase of 5.7% compared to the $2.344 billion exported during the same month last year.
The categories of products that contributed to the performance of exports, classified by Chapter of the Central American Tariff System - SAC - which accounted for 59.9% (U.S. $1484.6 billion) of total exports, were:
In the UK there is a tendency to consume more palm oil from sustainable production and it has become the third largest global importer of this product.
From an article by the Foreign Trade Promotion Office of Costa Rica (PROCOMER):
Palm oil is the second most consumed oil in the world. The UK is the third global importer of this product, which is used in food, cosmetic and oleo-chemical products.
The cause is a contraction in consumption in major markets for Guatemalan exports, mainly sugar, coffee and rubber.
This is mainly due to international market stagnation and decline in prices of commodities such as sugar and coffee. "Among these markets is the U.S., the country's main trading partner. According to statistics from the Bank of Guatemala, during the first three months of the year $1.016 billion was exported to this country, showing a decrease of 2.4% compared to the $1.041 billion recorded last year, ie a loss of $24.5 million," noted an article in Elperiodico.gt.
An Environmental Business Management Unit is to be created in order to promote the environmental competitiveness of the export sector.
From a note by the Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPORT):
AGEXPORT is in the process of creating the Corporate Environmental Management Unit, which will operate under the Development Division, in order to promote systematic and continuous environmental competitiveness of the export sector of Guatemala, through responsible environmental practices.
Before the end of April, the Philippines will be sending its first shipment of three thousand tons of Cavendish bananas to the United States.
From an article by the Costa Rican Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
The Philippine government said on Monday that the first shipment of 3,000 tons of Cavendish bananas bound for the United States will finally be sent before the end of April.
The Customs Directorate is calling on companies involved in foreign trade to take part in the AEO Programme.
The Customs Directorate is inviting producers, importers, exporters, carriers, customs agents, bonded warehouses, Consolidated / deconsolidated companies, courier companies, free zones and ports, to form part of the AEO Program of Guatemala, which strikes a balance between security and facilitation of international trade, through a strategic alliance between the Customs Administration, the Tax Authority and the different participants in the supply chain.
In order to stimulate the Mexican chocolate industry the government of the country will be allowing cocoa imports .
From an article by the Costa Rican Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
Chocolate is a product that Mexico supplies to the world and which is currently going through hard times in this country. The duty free import of foreign chocolate and the protection Mexican cocoa producers have enjoyed for years, has led to the closing or sale of several companies, as happened last year with La Cubana and Wong's, and before that Larin and Azteca.
In light of an announcement by the Guatemalan government that they are looking for more beef suppliers, Colombia is making preparations.
From an article by the Costa Rican Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food in Guatemala (MAGA) reported that it will be evaluating new suppliers in light of a possible meat shortage caused by an increase in prices in the country.
In the past 20 years intraregional trade grew at a rate of 12% per year, indicating an opportunity to deepen integration by finally fully adopting the customs union.
However, experts believe that Central America still faces challenges, specifically in customs matters.
"Exports to Central America have grown over the past 20 years at a rate of 50% more than exports to the rest of the world." "...at an average of 12% annually, and our exports to the world have grown at an average of 8% annually. This underlines the importance of intraregional trade dynamics in this space of Central American integration," said Hugo Beteta, CEO of the subregional site of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Mexico.
Exporters can find documents such as daily checking and re-entry, affidavits, bond insurance, exporter update codes, among others.
From a press release issued by the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (AGEXPORT):
With the aim of providing a query tool which facilitates obtaining documents required by exporters the VUPE-OPA Virtual Library, also known as e-Docs has been implemented.