Guatemala Merchandise Trade Balance (USD bn)

Trade Balance in Guatemala

The GDP growth rate in Q4 was slightly below that of Q3. While government spending and fixed investment accelerated in Q4, there was a slowdown in household consumption. On the external front, export growth decelerated and imports contracted. Looking at Q1, growth likely continued at a solid pace. In the quarter, the monthly indicator of economic activity expanded at a slightly faster pace than in Q4. Furthermore, strong remittances inflows and a higher average economic activity confidence index in comparison to Q4 likely had a positive impact on private consumption and investment. For Q2, the economy is set to decelerate due to the weaker performance of trading partners and a likely cooling of the U.S. labor market limiting remittances inflows and thus weighing on private consumption.