Browse Data and Analysis

The Caribbean Basin region continues to experience growth, driven primarily by the steady rise in tourism, which in turn impacts consumer demand.

Prospects for marketing year (MY) 2025/26 oilseed crops in Bulgaria are currently positive due to favorable weather and larger planted area. FAS/Sofia estimates the MY 2025/26 rapeseed crop at 240,000 metric tons (MT) and the sunflower crop at 2.0 million metric tons (MMT).

Guatemala’s imports of consumer-oriented products continue to grow, reaching $886 million in 2024, a 14 percent increase that surpassed imports of bulk and intermediate products by nearly 50 percent.

Prospects for winter grain crops in Bulgaria are currently optimistic due to favorable weather and larger planted area.

The 2024 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world during the 2024 calendar year.

In 2024, Bulgarian imports from the United States were nearly $100 million, slightly lower than in 2023, but still up over 50 percent since 2019. Imports of U.S. products were driven by several product groups such as U.S. beef, tree and ground nuts, food preparations, whiskies, essential oils, and rubber.

Guatemala’s coffee production areas remain stable, with gradual increases in output as ongoing renovation efforts begin to show results.

In MY 2023/24, Guatemala ranked as the world’s second most efficient sugarcane producer and fourth in overall sugar production efficiency. For MY 2025/26, production is forecast to remain steady, with planted and harvested areas unchanged from the previous two years, and growth expected in MY 2026/27.

Bulgaria’s fish and seafood imports have grown steadily over the past decade, nearly doubling in value over this period. Bulgarian importers are seeking to expand the variety of fish available to consumers, particularly in the mid and high-value categories.

Rice production in Guatemala is slowly declining due to limited access to improved seed varieties and an insufficient domestic supply of locally developed seeds.

This report highlights the food processing industry, its drivers, key players, and market landscape in the Caribbean Basin. The region relies heavily on imports, and the United States is the largest supplier of food ingredients.

The food and beverage processing industry in Guatemala includes around 2,200 companies and plays a crucial role in the country's economy, contributing to employment, exports, and domestic food security.