Among the products that benefited are coffee and cardamom.

On Monday, the administration of the U.S. President Donald Trump informed that Guatemala was included among the first countries to benefit from ‘zero tariffs’ on 66 agricultural products, a measure in effect since November 14. The remaining negotiated products will come into effect upon the signing of the future Reciprocal Trade Agreement.

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The Guatemalan Economy Ministry confirmed that the 66 tariff codes are part of an expanded list of 237 products included by Washington. Most of them correspond to strategic and pillar crops such as roasted and unroasted coffee, cardamom, bananas, mangoes, pineapples, papayas, cacao, vanilla, juices, tomatoes, tea, pepper, turmeric, ginger, cassava, hearts of palm, and fertilizers, all with immediate tariff-free access.

The measure strengthens Guatemala’s role as an agricultural supplier to the U.S. market, the country’s most important trading partner. Producers will be able “to compete with better margins,” access new buyers, and expand their presence in a market with high food demand.

The Economy Ministry stated that it “will continue promoting the reduction of non-tariff barriers and attracting investment to increase productivity.” It considers the zero tariff a “strategic step forward” in diversifying exports to international markets.

The text reads, “Economist Martin Barahona explained that Guatemala and El Salvador were able to reduce tariffs thanks to their relationship with the United States. ‘The U.S. has the power to impose conditions, whether it’s right or wrong,’ Barahona noted.”

The measure aims to alleviate pressure on domestic food prices and reduce import costs for U.S. consumers. The White House instructed the Treasury Department and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to temporarily suspend higher tariffs, responding to criticism of rising prices for basic foodstuffs.

The decision was announced after President Donald Trump’s trade agreements with Argentina, El Salvador, and Ecuador, Latin American countries on good diplomatic terms with the Republican administration. The new framework eliminates the reciprocal 10% or 15% tariff on their exports.

The tariff removal comes a week after the Republican Party lost mayoral and gubernatorial elections in key states, and it represents a shift from Trump’s usual stance. He has defended tariffs since January, as a tool to protect American workers and industry.

teleSUR: JP

Source: Centroamerica 360

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