Guatemala and the United States Enter a New Era of Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership
Guatemala’s relationship with the United States is stronger than ever. The US has long been the country’s main trading partner, accounting for 32.1% of total trade. This year, President Bernardo Arévalo has stated that the two nations are opening a new chapter of collaboration and mutual trust, working together to create concrete opportunities for business and investment.
Guatemala stands as the United States’ largest economic partner in Central America. In 2024, US goods and services exports to its southern neighbor reached $12.3 billion, backed by the successful U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement. Momentum accelerated in November 2025, when the USA and Guatemala signed a new trade framework agreement granting preferential treatment to US agricultural producers, small businesses and manufacturers, while lowering tariffs on select Guatemalan exports.
Guatemala has also firmly cemented its position as a regional hub for US and foreign direct investment, with total inflows reaching $1.69 billion in 2024, an increase of more than 80% since 2020. Today, more than 200 US and international companies operate in the country, with the USAstanding as the largest foreign participant in the Guatemalan economy outside of its Central American neighbors. As 2026 unfolds, relations between the USA and Guatemala are entering a particularly dynamic phase, with both governments poised to deepen cooperation through a more transactional, results-driven agenda spanning trade, migration, security and infrastructure.