After a 7 per cent increase in exports during 2018, Guatemala's apparel and textile sector expects to reach $2 billion in sales this year. Crisis in Nicaragua and an 8 per cent increase in customer demand in the United States were some of the reasons for growth reported last year by textile companies in Guatemala.

According to the Bank of Guatemala (Banguat), during the first 11 months of last year sales of costume items to the U.S. represented 91 per cent of the total sold by local companies. Figures show between January and November 2017, and the same period in 2018, exports to the US registered an 8 per cent increase, from $1.111 million to $1.200 million.