Guatemala
Report by the WTO Secretariat
During the period under review Guatemala intensified its trade liberalization and economic reform efforts. An important step in this process was the elimination at the beginning of 2016 of the export performance requirements for production under the free-zone and maquila regimes. At the same time Guatemala updated its government procurement legislation to ensure greater transparency and efficiency as well as its legislation governing certain aspects of intellectual property rights protection and took steps to facilitate trade. A number of challenges remain however particularly in the competition policy area where no legislation has yet been implemented.
Preface
The Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) was first established on a trial basis by the GATT CONTRACTING PARTIES in April 1989. The Mechanism became a permanent feature of the World Trade Organization under the Marrakesh Agreement which established the WTO in January 1995.