Although there is a market in the EU for Nicaraguan non-traditional products, producers face tough requirements and controls in order to conquer it.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
In 2013 the trade component of the Association Agreement with the European Union will come into effect, which will liberalize most of the Central American export goods.
According to the Center for Nicaraguan Exports (CETREX) this represents an opportunity, particularly for products such as cocoa, sesame, fresh fruit, natural honey, okra, pineapple and herbs and spices, goods whose production has not yet been consolidated in the country.
"Klara Kanska, political affairs and business consultant for the delegation of the EU-CA, says that among the main barriers to be overcome is that the region be able to meet all the "technical and sanitary requirements. This is an issue that must be worked on a lot, especially in fresh produce, meats, dairy products which need a lot of work.
In the first quarter of this year, exports of pineapple, manufactured leather and timber goods recorded increases of over 200% compared to the same period in 2016.
Pineapples, fresh oranges, leather goods, timber, cocoa, scrap metal, confectionery and pharmaceutical products are some of the export items which recorded significant increases compared to the first quarter of 2016.
In the past three years exports of nontraditional products have seen an increase of $900 million.
The head of the ministry of economy, Armando Flores, on the occasion of the presentation of the Accountability Report noted that in the last year alone the increase has been $290 million.
In the first five months of the year, Honduran exports of non-traditional products totaled $575 million.
According to the Honduran Central Bank's Foreign Trade Report, sales of non-traditional products totaled $1.27 billion in the period.
The general manager of the country's Federation of Agricultural Exporters (FPX) told Laprensa.hn that, "it's good news because it's important for Honduras to export more non-traditional products than coffee and bananas since prices of these fluctuate and non-traditional industries have historically had a buffering effect. However it is hoped that these products can increasingly take a more central role".
Exports of nontraditional products are growing at a faster pace than exports of traditional ones (coffee, banana, cardamom and sugar).
In 2009 total exports summed $7.23 billion. Of them, $5.41 billion corresponded to nontraditional goods (74.9%).
“Data from Banguat shows that in 1980 the country exported $1.52 billion, of which $633 million were traditional goods and $886.4 million were nontraditional ones (58.3%)”, reported Sigloxxi.com.