During the first nine months of 2018, Central American companies imported $101 million worth of fruit and vegetable juices, and 45% of the total was bought by companies in Panama and Honduras.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphics]
Businessmen in Nicaragua denounced that because of the tax reform approved by the Ortega regime, the tax burden on imports of all types of beverages has tripled.
Representatives of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Industries (Cadin) explained that before the tax reform that was approved last February came into effect, importers paid the tax on the total cargo of beverages in each import, but now it was ordered that this must be applied on the retail price of each of these products.
From January to September 2018, Central American companies imported $269 million in alcoholic beverages, 23% more than in the same period in 2017, mainly because of purchases from Mexico.
Data from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphics]
Improving sanitary controls, reducing smuggling and accrediting laboratories for food analysis are some of the proposals made by Guatemalan businessmen to the future new government.
Two months before the General Elections, the Guatemalan Chamber of Food and Beverages (CGAB) presented its proposals to several presidential candidates, with the objective of working in different areas so that the growth of the sector goes from the current 5% to 9% in the coming years.
From 20 to 23 May, an online business meeting will be held with South Korea for companies in the food and beverage sectors.
The Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) coordinates the "Virtual Business Roundtable with South Korea," which is aimed at companies in the food and beverage sector, and will be conducted through the Central American Trade Network.
Embotelladora La Mariposa in Guatemala, Distribuidora La Florida in Costa Rica and Femsa in Panama are three of the companies in Central America that report the highest figures for purchases of all types of beverages.
An analysis of CentralAmericaData's Trade Intelligence unit provides details on the companies according to sector, main activity, volume and value of their imports, exports and other relevant data.
Although at the request of the business sector, President Varela vetoed the bill establishing an 8% tax on local and imported sugary beverages, Panama's National Assembly will insist on approving it.
The National Assembly approved in third session the new taxes, however, the business sector asked the Panamanian president at the end of February 2019 to veto the bill, which establishes a tax of 8% for sugared drinks of national production and imported and 10% for syrups and concentrates.
In the first two months of the year, the production of alcoholic beverages in Panama was 48 million liters, 3% less than that recorded in the same period of 2018.
The latest data published by the General Comptroller of the Republic, detail that the production of alcoholic beverages generally reported a decline, reducing from 49.7 million liters from January to February 2018, to 48 million liters in the same period of 2019.
The construction of an industrial plant in Perez Zeledon, which will be used to produce drinks based on coffee waste, with the substance known as mucilage, was completed.
Without disclosing the global amount used, it was reported that the investment for the start-up of the plant called "AgriSanam" was made by the Costa Rican company CoopeAgri R.L. and the Colombian company Sanadores Ambientales de Colombia.
In the first nine months, imports of bottled water into Central America totaled $17.5 million, and 53% of the value imported was from the United States.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
For brewers in Panama it is necessary to incorporate innovations in manufacturing, since in the local market consumption has ceased to be a fashion to become a trend.
The expectations of Panamanian businessmen are encouraging, because they expect that the demand for high quality artisanal beer in the country will continue to increase, so continuous improvement of the product will be key to the expansion of production.
Dos Pinos and Distribuidora Corripio invested $30 million in the construction of a plant that has an area of 8,500 square meters and a packaging capacity of 250,000 liters per day.
The Costa Rican Cooperative of Milk Producers Dos Pinos and Distribuidora Corripio, founded the Caribbean Dairy Group, being their first joint investment the construction of the new industrial plant, which will produce 50 varieties of dairy products, juices, nectars and soft drinks of the Dos Pinos and La Granja brands.
Innovating and developing affordable products that meet the diverse nutritional needs of the Central American market is the main challenge facing the regional industry.
The discussion of interest topics of the food and beverage industry takes place within the framework of the first Food and Beverage Industry Forum, which was held in Guatemala and was named "Challenges of the regional agenda."
After investing $20 million, Bepensa Dominicana began operating its new beverage production plant with the capacity to fill and bottle 50,000 units per hour.
Representatives of the company dedicated to the production of beverages of Coca-Cola brands in the Dominican Republic, informed that the industrial plant is designed to operate without interruptions, and will be used to bottle 12-ounce, 1.25-liter, 2-liter and 2.5-liter beverages.
Sivar Brewing Company, artisanal beer producer from El Salvador, began exporting to the Honduran market through the distributor ANPHAR, S.A.
Honduras is the second Central American market in which Sivar Brewing Company (SBC) products are entering, as they have been commercialized in Guatemala since last year.
Sergio Rodriguez, general manager of SBC, told Laprensagrafica that "...
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