Honduras, Jamaica, the United States, England, and Canada are some of the countries that are investing in Guatemalan ethnic furniture, being aware of the artisan talent and national potential. Also, the production of this style of high-quality furniture has sparked interest in European territories, which is opening doors to send this national furniture to Germany and Spain by 2023. According to the Furniture, Wood, and its Products, COFAMA of AGEXPORT, this new offer adds to what the country already exports, which are floors, doors, sawn wood, platforms, coffins, among others.
One of the summer trends this year that the Furniture, Wood, and Products Commission -COFAMA- of the Guatemalan Association of Exporters -AGEXPORT- has identified is the search for furniture that offers custom designs, exclusive lines and especially, that they communicate and represent histories and culture. For this reason, member companies of AGEXPORT COFAMA dedicated to the export of ethnic furniture are working to take advantage of this opportunity and achieve greater international reach.
“Buying and enjoying ethnic furniture is not just having a product. Buying ethnic furniture is social progress, hope for artisans, trade, export, culture, and tradition. Ethnic furniture does not depreciate, it gains value, since it is created with love, passion, and dedication by the hands of Guatemalan artisans”, commented Adrián Cordero, Co-Founder and General Manager of Livistona Designs, a partner company of AGEXPORT COFAMA.
According to experts, people continue to seek to make their home, office, or rest space a place that represents them and is welcoming, because this directly impacts their mood. From that account, ethnic furniture exporters seek to offer ergonomically savvy designs, functional pieces of art, as well as high-quality, durable products. These products have a high focus on detail and good taste, being a way to “transport” from your home to other summer territories.
“The quality and durability are backed, among others, by the certificate from the National Forest Institute, which guarantees customers that the wood used was extracted responsibly, complying with all the necessary requirements. This compliance has favored us in several ways, including being one of the strategic providers of the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels, being a way of showing the work of Guatemalan artisans to large numbers of foreigners who visit hotels located in Costa Rica.” concluded Cordero.
EXPOMUEBLE 2023, space to discover Guatemalan ethnic furniture
According to the Furniture, Wood, and Products Commission, COFAMA, the wood products and furniture sector exports US$230 million and generates around 331,652 jobs. For this 2023, they have designed a 2023 work plan on four strategic axes: internationalization and market diversification, development of the exportable, diversified, competitive and sustainable offer, trade facilitation and the efficiency of the international logistics chain and the generation of capacity for internationalization and consolidation of an export culture.
Related note: Save the date: EXPOMUEBLE 2023.
One of the axes in which the COFAMA of AGEXPORT will be working this year is the commercial promotion and opening of new markets. And, for this, EXPOMUEBLE becomes the ideal commercial platform and the most important for the furniture industry in the Central American region, because it brings together the most significant producers in the sector. We are almost 80% ready for the new edition of EXPOMUEBLE that will take place from Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 July at Fórum Majadas. In this edition you will find the launches of the new furniture collections for all tastes, from ethical, avant-garde, classic, minimalist, and much more, there will be more than 150 stands and more than 75 exhibitors. Concluded the president of the Organizing Committee of Expomueble, Pablo Sánchez.
