WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/LIC/N/3/GTM/2 
8 September 2004 
 
 (04-3777) 
Committee on Import Licensing Original:   Spanish 
  
 
REPLIES TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES
1 
 
Notification under Article 7.3 of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures  
 
GUATEMALA 
 
  The following communication, dated 2 September 2004, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Guatemala.  
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 Outline of systems
 
 Automatic licensing: 
 
1. Brief description of each licensing system.  
(a) The Law on Protected Areas (Decree No. 4-89) stipulates that the approval of the 
National Council for Protected Areas (CONAP) is required in order to import plants 
and animals into protected areas. 
(b) The Law on Arms and Munitions (Decree  No. 39-89) prohibits the import of 
offensive weapons and their ammunition. 
(c) The Law on the Protection and Improvement of the Environment (Decree No. 68-86) 
prohibits the import of animal or human waste. 
(d) Law prohibiting the import and regulating the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 
(Decree No. 110-97). 
(e) The Law against Drug-Related Activities (Decr ee No. 48-92) prohibits the import of 
narcotic drugs. 
(f) Law regulating the import, processing, storage,  transport, sale and use of pesticides 
(Legislative Decree No. 43-74).  Regulations on the import of pesticides are issued by 
the competent authority (the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food, and the 
Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare). 
(g) Regulations on fertilizers for use in agricu lture, their registration, import, export, 
formulation, repackaging, storage and ma rketing (Government Decision No. 746-93). 
                                                     
 
1 See document G/LIC/3, Annex, for the questionnaire. 
 G/LIC/N/3/GTM/2 
Page 2  
 
  
Purposes and coverage of licensing
 
 2. In Guatemala, no licences are required for th e import of goods needed for normal economic 
development, with the exception of produc ts subject to import quotas (see document 
G/AG/N/GTM/28) which are named in the la ws and regulations listed under point 1. 
 3. Goods can be imported from any country.  4. No, only to fulfil the purposes of the la ws and regulations lis ted under point 1. 
 
5. Laws and regulations under wh ich the licensing is maintained: 
 
(a) Pursuant to Article 30 of the Law on Pr otected Areas (Decree No. 4-89), published on 
10 February 1989 in the Official Journal, Volume CCXXXV, No. 64, pages 1577-
1583, the approval of the National Council for Protected Areas (CONAP) is required 
in order to import plants and animals into protected areas. 
(b) The Law on Arms and Munitions, Decree No. 39-89, published in the Official Journal 
on 4 August 1989, Volume CCXXXVI, pages 2337-2346, prohibits the import of offensive weapons and their ammunition.  Th is law is enforced by the Ministry of 
Defence Department for the Control of Arms and Munitions. 
(c) Pursuant to the Law on the Protection and Improvement of the Environment 
(Decree No. 68-86) of 1989, imports of animal or human waste, treated or untreated, are prohibited for reasons of public health and environmental protection. 
(d) The Law prohibiting the import and regulati ng the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 
in their various forms (Decree No. 110-97), published in the Official Journal of 
10 October 1997, Volume CCLVII, No. 94, pages 3029-3030, prohibits the import of 
products containing CFCs and of products th at are not freely and legally marketed in 
their country of origin. 
(e) The Law against Drug-Related Activiti es (Decree No. 48-92), published in the 
Official Journal on 6 October 1992, Volume CCXLIV, No. 83, prohibits the import of 
narcotic drugs. 
(f) Legislative Decree No. 43-74, regulating the import, processing, storage, transport, 
sale and use of pesticides, published on 5 June 1974 in the Publicación de Leyes , 
Volume XCIII, pages 234-236.  This law regulates and protects the population's health and property whilst maintaining and encouraging the development of 
agricultural and livestock production in gene ral, favouring appropr iate and controlled 
use of pesticides. 
(g) Government Decision No. 746-93 issuing regulations on fertilizers for use in 
agriculture, their registration, import, expor t, formulation, repackaging, storage and 
marketing, published on 20 December 1993 in the Official Journal, Volume 
CCXLVII, No. 88, pages 2473-2474.  The State encourages maximum freedom in these sectors of industry and trade, without prejudice to any restrictions imposed by 
laws for social reasons or in the national interest. 
  G/LIC/N/3/GTM/2 
 Page 3 
 
 
 Procedures  
 6. None  7. There are no quantitative limits or lim its on imports from a particular country. 
 
8. In Guatemala, import licences are required onl y in the cases listed under point 5.  In those 
cases, the specific law lays down the requirements for each product and regulates matters relating to 
import quotas.  
Eligibility of importers to apply for licence
 
 9. Yes.  Documentational and other require ments for application for licence
 
 
10. The information varies according to the produc t, and is specified in each of the laws 
mentioned under point 5.  11. The documents vary according to the product, a nd are specified in each of the laws mentioned 
under point 5. 
 
12. No.  13. No.  Only for the import of weapons when ther e are doubts as to the provenance or the type of 
the firearm in question. 
 
Conditions of licensing
 
 14. The period varies according to the procedures set out in the specific laws and regulations 
mentioned under point 5.  
15. No. 
 16. No.  17. No. 
 
Other procedural requirements
 
 18. No.  19. The foreign exchange market operates freely. 
 
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