Teodora Gómez and her husband, Jeremiah Batz, began their typical fabric business 22 years ago, but in 2025 their sales and exports to the US. UU. They have descended, so they analyze a staff cut.
“Everything started in 2003 from our home. We started in a suit and then we sold it,” says Gomez.
Five years after preparing their first suit, they opened their first place in Salcajá, Quetzaltenango, with the idea of expanding towards the US.
The dream made it weeks later, when they began to export clothing and typical articles north of the continent. In 2015, their products were already sold in four states.
“Our biggest buyers were in Los Angeles, New York, Houston and Atlanta. Stores of those places contacted us to send them the typical costumes,” he recalls.
With sales money, they could expand and hire more than 60 collaborators, mostly women.
“We had the place and the workshop where the costumes are made, and decided to inaugurate a dining room to continue supporting the economy of Salcajá and prevent our neighbors from migrating to the United States,” he emphasizes.
The ventures of Gómez and Batz currently generate employment in six communities of Totonicapán and Quetzaltenango.
“We give them a roof where they can sleep, because our collaborators live very far and they would spend a lot if they travel every day. They stay to sleep from Monday and Friday go to their homes,” he said.
Exports decrease
Gómez states that the production of typical costumes dropped 50% since January 2025, due to the little demand that exists in stores located in the US.
“The change of the new United States government caused sales to decrease, by Trump’s migratory policies,” he says.
Estuardo Arriola, president of the Association of Guatemalan merchants of Trenton, New Jersey, comments that a part of the nationals residing in the United States are avoiding dressing with Mayan clothing for fear of being deported.
“What drives us is our people, see how they get a salary to help their families,” says Arriola.
He adds that there are migrants who generate panic pointing out that by the type of clothing they can be detained.
“There are certain people who are frightened, but possibly they are the ones who have just arrived,” he says.
Arriola states that Guatemalan companies in the US dedicated to the sale of clothing reported a reduction in their profits of 50%.
They analyze reduce personnel
Gómez acknowledges that they analyze stop their operations if the demand for tissues continues to decrease.
“There are families who ask for raw material to elaborate six clothing, but, given the little demand, they reduced the 50 % production,” he says.
He explains that the weavers who collaborate with the company are originally from Totonicapán, Sololá and Quetzaltenango.
Vilma Sic, originally from Totonicapán, comments that for 28 years he has been weaving and hopes that the demand for clothing will increase, because the support of his family depends on this.
“We are a team, not only the owners of the company. We all strive for the business to continue and work too,” he acknowledges.
He says that, together with his companions, they get up early to meet the goals, but for two months their income has been affected because they are paid by a prepared piece.
“Stability is uncertain in this place, but we hope that everything will improve and that the Guatemalans in the US. They continue buying our product,” he says.
Gómez said that sales made have only served to pay staff and avoid layoffs.
“Some of the weavers have sought work in other areas, but there are no jobs. It is difficult to have a source of income in Guatemala,” he says.
He adds that they yearn for the economy in Salcajá to continue growing to avoid migration to the north of the continent.
“We hope that the Guatemala government fulfills what it promised in the campaign: bringing development to rural areas, because we need it,” he said.
Estuardo Arriola, president of the Association of Guatemalan merchants of Trenton, New Jersey, says that, as of April, the Guatemalan Business Economy in the US. UU. Improve.
“Something similar happened in the first administration of Donald Trump. During the first three months, Latinos’ shops had casualties in their profits due to the fear of being deported. They did not go outside and preferred to stay at home, but then everything returned to normal. I think the same thing will happen,” said the president of the association.
Another business
Yamila Tui migrated to the US. When he was 17 years old. Eight months later, next to her mother, María Tiu Tzoc, began selling typical clothes and shoes.
Both said that sales decreased by 25 % in January and that it was probably because of the fear of Guatemalans to dress with clothes originally from their communities. However, in the last two weeks, “everything returned to normal.”
Yamila Tui indicates that she undertook to help her parents and generate jobs, although in 2020 they had to start selling through social networks due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We had a year of having started with the business when the restrictions for the COVID-19 forced us to close. We believed that we would not sell anything, but our product knew him the whole country, the United States,” says Tui.
Yamila and his parents offered typical costumes and shoes on social networks, which allowed them to send more than 20 states.
“Now the Yamila brand knows her in Guatemala and the US.
Merchants emphasize that most of their clients are in California, New York, Texas and Florida.
They add that the business generates 25 jobs in Totonicapán communities, where women are dedicated to the tissue of typical costumes.
“It gives us a lot of satisfaction to know that we can generate jobs and improve our communities,” they said.
Tui explained that the costumes have unique designs adapted to fashion.
“They are costumes with other designs so that women from any community in Guatemala can use them. Prices range from US $ 200 to US $ 1,800 for each, depending on the design and quality of the thread,” said the young woman.
At the discretion of the Association of Guatemalan merchants of Trenton, New Jersey, almost all businesses have returned to normal, except those that are dedicated to the sale of typical clothing and items.
The president of the association considers that the nationals could fear dressing with native costumes for fear of being deported.
He comments that there are 1,500 businesses in that city and 50% are from Guatemalans. He explained that the association and consulate of Philadelphia of Guatemala in the US., Have given talks to Trenton residents so that they are informed about their rights to the immigration policies implemented by President Donald Trump.