Gateway
to Central America
and Mexico
I
ts geo-strategic position has
allowed it to become an important
logistics point for investors around
the world, thanks to its proximity to
the United States, its main trading
partner and leading economy in the
world and to its three neighboring
countries that make up NAFTA, the
world’s largest trade agreement.
Guatemala borders with Mexico, an
emerging economy and its third
trading partner, only after the other
Central American countries. Mexico
has made significant investments in
the telecommunications sector and
other diverse services.
Guatemala
has
also
become a logistic services
center for the region, due
to the fact that it’s only
a three hour flight away
from Miami or the South
American continent, so
countries like Colombia
have
made
important
investments in productive
sectors such as energy and
banking.
Guatemala City is the largest in the
Central American region. Its human
capital and natural resources along
with its technological infrastructure
and the quality of the labor
force make the country a strong
competitor.
accounted for 62.8% of the total value
of foreign trade and 79.5% by weight.
The cargo movement by seaports
reached 26,415 metric tons in 2016.
The total foreign trade volume for the
country was 31,096 metric tons.
In 2016, the country’s exports totaled
US$10,450 million. The main destinations
were the United States, Central America,
Mexico and the European Union.
Imports totaled US$17 billion.
The
country’s
road
and
port
infrastructure have become connection
points used by neighboring countries,
Guatemala has the most developed economy in the
Central American region, its infrastructure, quality of
labor and services make it a strong competitor.
The country’s attractiveness comes
from its climate, tourist destinations,
volcanoes,
lakes
and
especially
because of its people with a strong
work ethic and its variety of living
cultures, heirs of the ancestral Mayan
culture, the most developed in ancient
America.
Bathed between two oceans, the
Atlantic to the north and the Pacific
to the south, key strategic points that
provide a competitive advantage for
companies, investors and local and
foreign merchants.
10
In 2016, the country attracted more
than US$1,180 million in foreign
direct investment. The most vibrant
sectors are trade, with US$307 million,
and US$261 million for electricity,
especially in the field of renewable
energies, such as hydro, wind and
solar.
GUATEMALABEYONDEXPECTATIONS .com
Two international airports, La Aurora,
in the heart of the city, and Mundo Maya
(Mayan World), in the Department of
Petén, receive thousands of passengers
annually. The country also has seven
smaller, regional airports in other
departments.
The country’s maritime trade is
growing because there are only 420
kilometers between the Atlantic and
the Pacific Oceans’, that join Santo
Tomás de Castilla port with Puerto
Quetzal port, with their specialized
terminals
and
international
certifications for trade, which together
like Honduras and El Salvador.
Guatemala has 16.3 million inhabitants,
with an economically active population
(EAP) of 6.8 million people: 67.2%
men and 32.8% women. Of these,
two million are youth between 15
and 24 years, 28.8% of the total of
economically productive age.
Guatemala is a country of opportunities
offering
significant
competitive
advantages, a meeting place for micro,
small, medium and large companies in
search of further expansion.