Guatemala Coffee Farmer and South Korea quickly sign Free Trade Agreement Guatemala Antigua Coffee Export

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Local media reported that in order to avoid isolation from the Asian market, Ricardo Arenas Menes, chairman of the Guatemalan Coffee Association (Anacafe), called on Guatemala to sign a free trade agreement between Central America and South Korea.

It is reported that Guatemala was originally scheduled to end negotiations with South Korea in May last year and sign a free trade agreement signed by Central American countries and South Korea, but in the end, the negotiations were not completed, making Guatemala the only country in Central America that has not entered into force to implement this agreement.

Arenas said that, in general, the Asian market absorbs about 23 percent of Guatemalan coffee exports, and in Japan, South Korea and Chinese mainland markets, they all think highly of Guardian coffee production.

Because several industrial groups in Guatemala, mainly in the metal industry, believe that South Korean products will threaten the country's local industry and must formulate protection provisions, they oppose the free trade agreement, but other industries, especially the agricultural industry, have been urging the government to enter into force to implement the agreement.

Arenas pointed out that weak coffee prices in the international market, higher production costs and changes in exchange rates are also affecting the operation of coffee producers.

Last year, Guatemala's coffee exports totaled US $649 million, making it one of the country's top 10 major exports.