As Guatemala expands its agricultural export business, shipping services in the region are also expanding their capacity.

At Agritrade in Antigua, FreshFruitPortal.com caught up with Daniel Guillen, Maersk’s area head of cold chain for Central America, Andina and the Caribbean, about the country’s export potential.

“Our plans for Guatemala, that’s to say in this region, are big,” Guillen said. “Guatemala continues to be one of the most important producer countries in Central America. One of the markets our clients have shown the need to continue growing is the United States.”

A major driver for Guatemala’s agricultural expansion is demand from the U.S. market, where Guatemala already ships significant quantities of bananas, as well as blackberries and other fresh fruits. The United States is Guatemala’s largest trade partner, accounting for nearly 35% of Guatemala’s external trade, according to the International Trade Administration.

“The United States has come to play an important role in the growth for producers in Guatemala,” Guillen said. “With that comes the investments we’re currently making in the country.”

Maersk currently operates two weekly routes from Guatemala to south Florida. One route runs each Thursday and another operates on Sundays.

“To make this possible, we’ve increased our network to a total of seven of our own ships that we have on rotation for those two weekly departures,” Guillen said.

Those routes also include connection services that utilize rail lines and trucking to expand the reach of Guatemalan imports across the United States.

He added that Maersk is prepared to transport Guatemalan avocado shipments to the United States, once that market finalizes approval. Exporters in Guatemala are eagerly anticipating the possibility of a market opening later in the year.

Guillen also highlighted Maersk’s Remote Container Management system, named Captain Peter, available worldwide. The system lets clients digitally track shipments from point A to point B.

“It allows our clients with refrigerated containers to monitor 24/7 where their cargo is. They can also monitor if there’s temperature variations,” he said.

Guillen explained that the monitoring system is designed to help exporters reduce costs by avoiding waste. For Guatemalan exporters, he hopes efficiency will make them that much more competitive in the United States market.