Guatemala to Eliminate Tariffs on U.S. Chicken Products

Guatemala has agreed to end tariffs on select U.S. chicken products years earlier than planned. The U.S. Trade Representative's office Monday said an agreement between the U.S. and Guatemala calls for the elimination of the 12.5 percent tariff on U.S. exports of fresh, frozen and chilled chicken leg quarters this month. The agreement is part of negotiations under the Central American Free Trade Agreement, according to Politico. Under the agreement, the U.S. and Guatemala will also establish a tariff rate quota allowing imports of 1,000 metric tons of processed chicken leg quarters to enter duty-free each year through December 31, 2021. Any remaining tariffs and quotas will be eliminated, effective January 1, 2022. Sales of U.S. chicken leg quarters to Guatemala totaled $82 million in 2016, about eight percent of the country's total U.S. agricultural imports of $1.1 billion last year.