TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will purchase a record NT$82.5 million (US$2.6 million) of coffee from Guatemala.
The Central American Trade Office (CATO) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a Taiwan inspection team arrived in Guatemala on Sunday (March 17) to sample coffee, reported CNA. The team consisted of representatives from nine major Taiwanese coffee companies.
CATO Director Violeta S. H. Hsu (徐韶慧) said the inspection team is expected to order 468 tons of coffee beans priced at US$2.6 million, breaking records in both purchase quantity and price. “Since Taiwan severed diplomatic ties with Honduras in March last year, Taiwanese businesses have reduced their coffee purchases from Honduras by 17%, with some orders shifting to Guatemala,” she said.
Hsu added that Taiwan’s import of Guatemalan coffee increased by 3.84% in 2023 compared to 2022. “Guatemala is Taiwan’s fourth-largest coffee importer, accounting for 12% of Taiwan's consumption market,” she said.
Hsu said last year, Guatemala’s National Coffee Association (ANACAFE) led representatives to Taiwan to participate in the Taiwan International Coffee Show to promote Guatemalan coffee. Taiwanese businesses placed orders for Guatemalan coffee worth US$700,000, she said.
Officials from the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Taiwan and Guatemala have had a free trade agreement since 2006. “Using a nearshore strategy, Guatemala can become a distribution center for access to major markets in the Americas, while Taiwan can serve as a base for distributing various products to other Asian countries,” the ministry said.