The new tax has been created by the Mexican government in retaliation for the suspension for health reasons on Honduran exports to the Mexican market.
The suspension of exports from Honduras to this country were put in place because of the threat of entry of early mortality syndrome (SMT by its initials in Spanish), which has caused great losses in the Mexican states of Sonora, Sinaloa and Nayarit.
Foreign sales of Honduran plastic products totaled $241.8 million dollars in 2011, 14% more than in 2010, when the total was $211.2 million.
"In terms of export volume, the president of the Agexport Plastics Commission, Rolando Paiz, said they were 8,767 metric tons, 6,122 more than the previous year, which is equivalent to 7%," reported LaPrensa.hn.
Exports of plastic products have been positioned within the "top 10" after totalling $16 million in August 2011.
The data comes from the monthly export report from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, which places El Salvador as the main destination country, followed by Nicaragua.
"So far in 2011 the volume of exports has been between two and three million kilos per month, which exceeds the figures recorded in 2008, which was a year affected by the international crisis especially regarding raw materials such as resin and oil”, reported Laprensa.hn
Between January and October, the country exported $ 763 million.
For the month of October, the greatest demand in the Central American market was for palm oil and its derivatives, second paperboard products and third cigarettes.
For the month of October, in terms of exports to world markets, coffee continues to be the first and second is clothing.
Industry and trade authorities announce the creation of a center to facilitate customs procedures.
The implementation of the new Import and Export Procedures Center will cut the time taken to carry out customs procedures to two days from the current 30.
Latribuna.hn reports Oscar Escalante, head of the Honduran ministry for trade and industry (SIC), as saying that, "tedious processes damage the economy and hurt producers, which is why ours need to be rationalized in order to make the region's economy and trade more dynamic."
Joining dairy products and eggs, now Sausages and Cold Meats from El Salvador are not allowed to enter Honduras.
On November 4th, El Salvador restricted its market for meat, shrimp and dairy products from Honduras, as a response for Honduras blocking Salvadoran poultry products.
These new restrictions imposed by Honduras are a result of "a new Executive Accord by the Honduran Commerce Secretary, which established new requisites for exports", reported newspaper Laprensagrafica.com. "These new measures were not discussed nor notified to any country. Any country has the right to enact accords, but not to execute them immediately, without informing or discussing them with its commercial counterparts and companies making business with the country", stated Manuel Sevilla, Salvadoran Agriculture Ministry.
Government officials, breeders and industry representatives agreed to reduce dry cheese imports to protect the dairy sector.
The measure is a result of growing complaints from local producers, who argue constant losses in their businesses.
"The Commerce and Industry Secretary, known as SIC, committed to achieving a ministry decree forcing supermarkets to separate dairy products by origin, thus protecting national production", reported El Heraldo.
Exports in March 2009 increased by $7.765 million when compared with the month of February.
According to data from the Center for Exports, areca palm and tilapia skin had a considerable rebound.
Aminta Peralta, who is in charge of the department of statistics of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, SIC, told Laprensa.hn: "Sugar grew by 99%, iron by 60%, pineapple by 34% and coffee by 10%.