Guatemala has already presented its position before the Section 301 Committee of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), which investigates imports of goods produced through forced labor, and will participate in the public hearing convened by that entity for July 7, 2026 in Washington, DC, indicated the Ministry of Economy (Mineco).
Besides, created the agreement for the prohibition of goods produced through forced or compulsory labor. This is made up of 10 articles; It was published on July 6, 2026 in the Diario de Centro América through Ministerial Agreement 377-2026 and will come into effect 30 business days after its publication in the official gazette.
According to the document, the publication is made in compliance with the binding commitment that Guatemala assumed on January 30, 2026 with the signing of the Reciprocal Trade Agreement with the United States, to adopt and effectively apply the prohibition of imports of goods extracted, produced or manufactured totally or partially through forced or compulsory labor.
These are also part of the actions that the country promotes to avoid the imposition of new taxes, derived from the investigation with which the USTR proposed tariffs on June 2 for 60 economies, including Guatemala, for failing to comply with measures against imports of goods from third countries produced through forced labor practices.
Under this investigation, the USTR proposal is to impose a general tariff of between 10% and 12.5% on imports from the economies under investigation. According to the sectors in Guatemala, this seeks to replace the temporary 10% tariffs established on section 122 of the Trade Law of 1974, and whose 150-day period expires on July 24.
The USTR set a deadline of July 6 for the receipt of written comments from countries and will hold hearings on proposed actions in these investigations on July 7.
consulted by Free press In this regard, Mineco responded on Friday, July 3, that Guatemala has already submitted comments to the USTR. He stated that the country is addressing this investigation formally and within the established deadlines.
“The country presented its position before the Section 301 Committee. Guatemala has also highlighted that it assumed a binding commitment on the matter under the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade with the United States, signed in January 2026.”
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He also indicated that Guatemala will participate in the public hearing called by the USTR for July 7, 2026 in Washington, DC, forming a panel along with other countries in the region, although he did not provide more details of the defenses or advances that he would present.
What does the prohibition agreement contain?
Ministerial Agreement 377-2026 creates for the first time in Guatemala a specific framework to prohibit the importation of goods produced totally or partially through forced or compulsory labor, regardless of the country of origin.
Establishes the administrative procedure, the responsible institutions and the creation of an official list of foreign companies linked to these practices.
- The prohibition is broad:
The importation into Guatemala of goods extracted, produced or manufactured totally or partially through forced or compulsory labor is prohibited. Applies to all merchandise that enters the national customs territory.
The ban not only covers products completely produced through forced labor, but also those partially produced under these conditions. The country where they were manufactured does not matter either, according to articles 1 and 4.
- An “Official List” is created
The enforcement mechanism will not be a list of products, but rather a list of foreign companies linked to forced labor. If a company appears on that list, the goods coming from it may be subject to the prohibition.
According to articles 5 and 6, the Ministry of Labor will prepare a list of foreign companies linked to forced labor, using information obtained through diplomatic channels and other international sources.
It is also ordered to publish the list on the institutional portals of both Mintrab and Mineco within 90 days after the entry into force of the agreement. The list must be updated at least once a year or every time it receives information that justifies its modification.
- Mintrab will be the researcher and Mineco the coordinator
The Mintrab may collect information from foreign authorities; the US Department of Labor; information obtained through international cooperation, and counterparts from other States. Based on this, the list mentioned in article 5 will be prepared.
Mineco will be the entity that coordinates the implementation of the prohibition agreement and will articulate the actions of the institutions involved, as established in the agreement.
- The SAT will participate in the control
Among others, Mineco must coordinate with the customs authority of the Superintendence of Tax Administration (SAT), through agreements, to prevent the entry of prohibited merchandise.
- There will be a right of defense
Before a final resolution, the procedure must respect the importer’s right of defense and keep the goods under temporary protection, as established in articles 7 and 8.
- If the ban is confirmed
The goods may not enter the country, according to article 9. The importer may only re-export them to the country of origin or a third country; destroy them, when appropriate, or keep them temporarily under protection while processing administrative appeals. These goods will not be able to be imported again while the ban persists.
Businessmen support progress
The Chamber of Agriculture of Guatemala (Camagro) recognized, through a statement, the publication of agreement 377-2026. He indicated that Guatemala is making progress in the implementation of the commitments and said that it is a measure that strengthens compliance with the country’s international commitments regarding the prohibition of imports of goods produced through forced labor.
Furthermore, he stated that it represents concrete progress in the implementation of the commitments established in the reciprocal agreement with the United States.