Three-day strike left hundreds of containers halted in Guatemala

Written and reported by Camila Gutierrez  | Lee esta noticia en Español 

A worker strike at the Santo Tomas de Castilla Port halted over 800 shipping containers for three days, causing more than $30 million in losses for exports, according to the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (AGEXPORT).

In the evening of August 20, Jose de la Peña, board president of Santo Tomas de Castilla's National Port Enterprise (EMPERNAC), spoke to local TV outlet Canal Antigua to announce the end of the strike. 

The Santo Tomas Port worker strike, which began the evening of August 18, temporarily hindered the logistical supply chain to over 25 ports connected via the Atlantic, affecting markets in the Gulf of Mexico, the East Coast of the United States, as well as the Caribbean and Northern Europe. 

Additionally, the weekly rotation of approximately 20 container ships in the Atlantic and Caribbean Basin might've been affected. The port terminal handles more than 30 percent of the country's maritime cargo and is critical to the agricultural industry and manufacturing, particularly for products such as fresh vegetables, wood, food, and beverages, among others.

In the first half of 2025, the port experienced a 28 percent increase in cargo volume.

Updated worker agreements 

In an interview with Canal Antigua, the EMPERNAC president explained that the administration had agreed to sit down with port workers to revise their demands. De la Peña said their contracts were outdated and needed to be revised by the company, as they're now obsolete.

In his conversation with the local TV station, the executive also clarified that the port remains under state administration and will not be privatized. 

According to official reports, activity at the Santo Tomas Port is expected to return to normal, although it's unclear whether it's fully operational.   

Losses and competitiveness of the Santo Tomas port

In a press conference last week, Amador Carballido, AGEXPORT's general director, expressed his concern about the strike and emphasized that losses amounted to $30 million. But to him, it was not only about economic losses but also a loss of trust from international clients. He underscored the impending risk to thousands of jobs in Guatemala.

However, the Santo Tomas Port worker strike is only part of the story, as other factors add to this crisis and directly impact the point of entry, as well as the country's competitiveness. They include a recent $200 surcharge per container imposed by shipping companies due to port congestion, the 10 percent U.S. tariff, the appreciation of the local currency, and the lack of investment in port infrastructure.

The industry organization emphasized that it’s critical to protect the port’s competitiveness to ensure the continuity of a service that is essential to the local economy.

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