(Originally published on September 12, 2025)
In western Guatemala, just 3 kilometers from the country’s largest border crossing with Mexico and 500 meters from the Tecún Umán II Customs Office, operates the ZDEEP Public Special Economic Development Zone “Zona Libre Puerta del Istmo,” which is redefining how the country connects with the world. Since it began operations just four years ago, it has established itself as the true logistics gateway for regional trade.
“Puerta del Istmo’s location is its greatest asset. We’re situated at the start of Guatemala’s most dynamic border with Mexico, and that allows us to serve as the natural link between Central America and North America,” says Fredy Palma, CEO of Zona Libre Puerta del Istmo.
Today, ZDEEP is home to six world-class companies engaged in activities ranging from the manufacture of auto parts and agroindustrial products to a food and beverage distribution center and a steel-related industry.
“The fact that global companies like Yazaki and Ambev choose us confirms that the western part of the country no longer just exports products—it also attracts world-class investment,” Palma emphasizes.
Guatemala’s only Transfer Center—a historic achievement for our country—allows users of Puerta del Istmo to bring Mexican vehicles, box trucks, containers, and flatbed trucks with Mexican license plates directly into the zone. It also permits the entry of flatbed trucks and authorizes the entry of vehicles with weight and dimension limits that are permitted in Mexico (exceeding those established in Guatemala’s Weight and Dimension Regulations).
“It reduces customs processing times; we cleared 25 double-trailer units, each weighing 64 metric tons, in three hours. we are working on implementing the Guatemala-Mexico Joint Customs Office, which streamlines customs procedures, reduces wait times, and optimizes the transport of goods,” notes Fredy Palma.
The results confirm it: more than US$$60 million in cumulative investment, more than 1,200 direct jobs, and an annual expansion of 10,000 square meters of industrial facilities, custom-designed for manufacturing operations, distribution centers, and specialized logistics processes.
Transformation Underway
The future is also taking shape. ZDEEP plans to double its infrastructure over the next three years. Last August, construction began on an additional 30,000 square meters of industrial facilities, which will be ready for use by the end of 2026.
Puerta del Istmo will build the first multimodal rail terminal in Guatemala, which aims to facilitate trade by making the overland transport of goods between Guatemala and North America more efficient.
Establishing this rail link between Guatemala and Mexico will transform the Guatemalan border region into a Central American logistics hub for the region’s major logistics chains, fostering economic development and creating formal jobs.
The developers of this ZDEEP project have also committed to sustainable initiatives such as renewable energy systems; in addition, they are building a 30-megawatt solar farm designed to provide clean and competitively priced energy to its users.
The nearshoring and industrial relocation are reshaping the map of global production, and ZDEEP Puerta del Istmo is emerging as the ideal location for companies seeking efficiency, proximity to the United States, and a natural connection to Mexico and Central America.
Today, the border is no longer a barrier. With Puerta del Istmo, the border becomes an opportunity.
“Guatemala has a unique opportunity to attract global investment, and Puerta del Istmo is part of that solution. We are ready to welcome industrial, commercial, service, or mixed-use companies that want to grow efficiently, competitively, and with our support. We invite investors to get to know us and discover the potential offered by the Puerta del Istmo Free Trade Zone to take their operations to the next level,” concludes Fredy Palma, CEO of the Puerta del Istmo Free Trade Zone.
