Guatemala Coffee Exports Tumbled in December for Third Month

By Marvin G. Perez

(Bloomberg) --

Guatemala’s December coffee shipments sank 34% from a year earlier to 62,293 bags, according to data emailed by the National Coffee Association, Anacafe.

Exports have dropped for the first three months of 2022-23 season started in October, down 38% y/y
While part of the drop has been caused by a late start to harvesting in parts of Central America, overall demand for coffee has been soft because some companies are working off inventory accumulated during the pandemic, according to Christian Wolthers, the president of Wolthers Douque, an importer based in Florida
Others are cautious about buying too far in advance amid recession fears, he says
NOTE: Bag weighs 60 kg, or about 132 pounds
Honduras, Central America’s top grower and shipper, has also seen a decline