冷戰過後，許多全球性的重大變化相繼發生，全球化成為國際時勢所趨，也宣示著全球社會的國際化將轉變成為單一社會。由此可見，人民、商品、服務、資本及思想穿越國家邊界相互交流的重要性。 當全球議題擴張並整合國家經濟的同時，政府政策的制定將扮演著更為重要的角色，在戰略決定及政策採用的過程中，為國家的穩定成長做擔保。由此觀之，貿易戰略被列入全球化議題之中，而在此議題中，貿易也是決定國家外交政策的重要因素之一。 貿易戰略政策來自於國內外壓力的基礎，此壓力塑造一個國家的戰略視野，並且決定一國在參與國際社會的貿易及非貿易因素。自由貿易協定是各國依照其特定外交政策所制定的策略，以達到俱競爭力的社會、政治與經濟之多元化目的。 瓜地馬拉與台灣的自由貿易協定的簽署，為促進雙方參與國際貿易的一大重要進程。隨著台瓜自由貿易協定的簽署，此協定將為台、瓜打開市場經濟的大門，一方面，台灣二千三百萬人的消費市場，將成為瓜地馬拉在亞洲拓展市場的第一站；另一方面，台灣更可藉此鞏固在中美洲地區的市場以打造雙贏的局面。 Many global changes have taken place since the end of the Cold War; globalization has become a popular trend that describes the internationalization of the global community into a single society. It can be observed the importance of exchanges of people, products, services, capital, and ideas across international borders.
As globalization has expanded and integrated national economies, there is a greater role’s recognition of the strategic government’s decision making process to figure out new strategies and adopt policies that help countries ensure a more equitable growth. At this point, trade strategies are inserted into current globalized context, in which international trade is one important factor affecting a nation’s foreign policy.
Trade policy strategies emerge out of a matrix of domestic and international pressures that shape a nation’s strategic vision and determine the trade and non-trade elements of the nation’s participation in the international community. Free Trade Agreements are strategies shaped according to the particular foreign policy of each country, which can achieve a variety of competitive social, economical and political goals.
The Free Trade Agreement signed between Taiwan and Guatemala constitutes an important step to improve the countries’ world trade participation. With the signature of a trade treaty, a big market door is open for both sides, on one hand, Guatemala will have its first open door in Asia, with a market of almost 23 millions of people, on the other, Taiwan is able to consolidate its market with the Central America region.
