How the new U.S. trade frameworks with Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador and Argentina may impact the logistics sector in Latin America.

BY DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ PAEZ

On November 13, 2025, the United States announced new “framework” trade agreements with Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Argentina. These are not full free-trade agreements yet, but they could reduce or eliminate tariffs on selected products (notably coffee, bananas, cocoa, and Argentinian beef), streamline import licensing, and address non-tariff barriers such as food safety rules, intellectual property, and digital trade restrictions improving north to south trade flows.

Tariff rates of 10% on most imports from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Argentina, and 15% on Ecuador, will remain in place, but the U.S. will grant targeted relief on items it does not produce domestically, while these four countries open more space for U.S. industrial and agricultural exports. For logistics players, the key is simple: lower frictions and clearer rules tend to mean more cargo and a potential shift in trade volumes.

Below are three significant ways these frameworks are likely to impact the logistics industry in Latin America in the coming months, and why they could support higher trade volumes.

1. A Short-Term Boost in Reefer and Agri Flows to the U.S.

The most immediate effect is on northbound agricultural exports.

The frameworks explicitly target tariff relief for staple exports like bananas, coffee, and cocoa from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Ecuador, as well as beef and other food products from Argentina. For producers and traders that already have U.S. buyers lined up, even a 5–10% swing in landed cost can be enough to accelerate shipments or renegotiate volumes.

Expected logistics impacts in the next 6–12 months:

Higher reefer utilization on key corridors. Ports like Puerto Barrios and Santo Tomás de Castilla (Guatemala), Acajutla (El Salvador), Guayaquil (Ecuador) and Buenos Aires/Rosario (Argentina) could see additional refrigerated container demand as exporters try to lock in new contracts with U.S. retailers and foodservice buyers.

Pressure on inland cold-chain capacity. Additional export volumes mean more truck trips from farms and processing plants to ports and cold warehouses, highlighting existing bottlenecks such as limited reefer trucks and fragmented last-mile infrastructure.

In beef and other animal proteins, Argentina’s new access conditions could pull some of the U.S. demand away from Brazil, especially for premium cuts, where Argentina has strong brand equity.

Because some of the tariff relief applies to products with tight harvests and high prices (for example, coffee and bananas after weather-related supply shocks), retailers are incentivized to accelerate imports as soon as the measures take effect.  That front-loading behavior tends to show up quickly in shipping statistics, even before full agreements are formally signed.

2. New Momentum for U.S.–Centric Manufacturing and Distribution Chains

The frameworks are also designed to expand market access for U.S. industrial and agricultural goods—everything from medicines and chemicals to machinery, medical devices, and vehicles.

Argentina has committed to preferential market access for U.S. industrial and pharmaceutical products, while Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala have agreed to further open their markets to U.S. machinery, automotive, and other industrial exports.

For logistics, this has several knock-on effects:

Higher southbound volumes and more balanced trade lanes. Container flows on U.S.–East Coast to Central American and Andean routes are traditionally imbalanced (more northbound agri than southbound manufactured goods). New orders for U.S. machinery, equipment, pharmaceuticals, and autos can help fill southbound capacity, improving utilization for carriers and forwarders.

Growth in project logistics and specialized handling. Industrial and infrastructure projects linked to these frameworks (for example, energy, mining, or transport investments in Argentina and Ecuador) will require expertise in oversized cargo, breakbulk, and project logistics. That creates opportunities for regional players that can manage multimodal routes, permits, and on-the-ground execution.

In textiles and apparel, the U.S. has also committed to removing reciprocal tariffs on certain products originating under DR-CAFTA, strengthening supply chains between U.S. textile producers and garment factories in El Salvador and Guatemala. This favors nearshoring models where U.S. yarn and fabric move southbound for assembly, then return as finished garments – a classic two-way logistics opportunity involving time-sensitive, high-frequency shipments.

3. Regulatory Convergence and Digital Trade: Less Friction, Faster Flows

The frameworks are not only about tariffs but stress commitments to reduce non-tariff barriers, improve transparency in product registration, strengthen IP protection, and support digital and services trade.

For logistics and trade operations, that can be just as important as any rate cut:

• Faster customs clearance and fewer “surprises.” Streamlined import licensing and more explicit sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules reduce the risk of containers being held at the border due to paperwork, lab tests, or inconsistent criteria. Over time, that improves schedule reliability and lowers demurrage and detention costs.
• More room for digital documentation and e-invoicing. When frameworks explicitly reference digital trade and services, it opens the door to wider use of electronic bills of lading, pre-clearance systems, and data-sharing platforms between customs, carriers and shippers. That is particularly relevant for e-commerce and LCL traffic, where documentation friction is high relative to shipment value.
• Compliance as a competitive edge. Commitments to labor and environmental enforcement, as well as bans on goods produced with forced labor in Argentina’s case, will require stronger supply-chain traceability.  Logistics providers that can document the chain of custody, provide ESG reporting, and track shipments end-to-end will be better positioned with multinational clients.

How this can favor trade volumes in the coming months:

While the frameworks still need to be translated into final legal texts and implementing regulations, which could take months, several factors point to beneficial impacts on trade and logistics volumes:

1. Tariff relief on existing trade flows. Many of the affected products – bananas, coffee, cocoa, beef, processed foods, textiles – already have established U.S. buyers and logistics chains. Once buyers see clear tariff reductions or quota adjustments, they can scale up within a quarter by amending contracts and booking extra capacity.
2. Pent-up investment decisions. For companies on the fence about setting up or expanding plants in Argentina, Ecuador, or Central America, the frameworks signal greater policy predictability and closer alignment with U.S. standards. That can unlock delayed projects, especially in export-oriented manufacturing and services, driving demand for construction logistics, equipment imports and later steady export flows.
3. Re-routing from other origins. Some U.S. importers of coffee, beef, or textiles currently sourcing from other regions (for example, parts of Asia or Africa) may start shifting volume to these four countries to take advantage of tariff and regulatory preferences. Even a modest share shift of a few percentage points is material when annual U.S. imports of these products reach billions of dollars.

Diego Rodríguez Paez is Director of Logistics and Industry Practice at Americas Market Intelligence.

This article was originally published by AMI. Republished with permission.

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