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.

In 2024, U.S. agricultural exports to El Salvador totaled $888 million, a 3 percent increase from 2023.

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.

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.

El Salvador’s coffee production is expected to reach 561,000 sixty-kilogram-bags in marketing year (MY) 2024/25. The sector continues to face challenges from climate vulnerability and the absence of a long-term strategy.

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.

Sugar production in El Salvador is forecast to reach 740,000 metric tons (MT) in marketing year (MY) 2025/26, with MY 2024/25 estimates revised down to 706,000 MT.

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.

In 2023, Guatemala ranked as the 16th largest U.S. agricultural export market, despite a nine percent decline in total exports, largely driven by reduced imports of bulk commodities. U.S. agricultural exports to Guatemala reached $1.6 billion. As the...