Overview

Amazon’s U.S. marketplace remains the largest global e‑commerce platform, offering a buyer base that dwarfs any other Amazon region. Sellers operating out of Guatemala can now reach this audience, but they must navigate cross‑border shipping, tax rules, and compliance. Mastering the end‑to‑end workflow turns the perceived hurdles into a repeatable profit engine.

Key Points

• Scale advantage — The U.S. site processes millions of orders daily, giving Guatemalan merchants access to a customer pool that is orders of magnitude larger than regional Amazon stores.
• Fulfillment flexibility — Vendors may ship directly to Amazon fulfillment centers (FBA), handle orders themselves (FBM), or employ third‑party logistics firms that specialize in Central‑American exports.
• Tax and duty obligations — Import tariffs, U.S. sales‑tax nexus criteria, and any applicable customs fees must be settled before goods leave Guatemalan ports.
• Currency conversion — Converting GTQ to USD for Amazon fees, advertising spend, and payouts requires a stable forex solution to protect margins.
• Regulatory requirements — Products must satisfy U.S. safety, labeling, and packaging standards such as FDA rules for consumables or FCC regulations for electronic devices.
• Unified Seller Central — A single Amazon Seller Central account can control listings, inventory, and campaigns for the U.S. marketplace regardless of the seller’s physical location.

How to Sell on Amazon USA from Guatemala

1. Open a U.S. Seller Central profile — Register with a business email, provide a company name, and link a payment method that can receive USD, such as a Payoneer or Wise account. Example: A Guatemalan clothing line creates a Professional seller account and connects it to a Payoneer USD bank‑account.
2. Complete the tax questionnaire — Fill Amazon’s tax interview, supplying an EIN when available; otherwise, submit the foreign tax ID and the W‑8BEN form to certify non‑U.S. status. Example: The seller uploads a Guatemalan tax identification number and selects “Non‑U.S. entity,” avoiding U.S. withholding tax.