From January to June 2020, banana exports amounted to 1,403 million, 14% more than what was reported for the same period in 2019, a rise that can be explained by the sales behavior of Honduran, Costa Rican, Panamanian and Guatemalan companies.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
Although several companies have been affected by the measures implemented by governments in the context of the Covid-19 crisis, Costa Rican exports of coffee, pineapple and bananas have so far not faced difficulties with logistics.
Directors of the Coffee Institute of Costa Rica (Icafé) indicated that so far there have been no problems with the availability of containers and that sales abroad are proceeding normally.
In October, the company Frutas Tropicales de Guatemala made the first shipment of Chinese peas and sweet peas to the Russian market.
This is the first shipment of fresh vegetables from Guatemala to the Russian market.
Directors of the company explained that the first shipment of peas was made indirectly, as it was made through Dutch and French companies, but in the short term they intend to establish direct relations with Russian distributors.
From January to September 2019, sales of the agricultural sector abroad totaled $2,080 million, 7% less than in the same period in 2018, mainly because of the performance of banana, pineapple and coffee exports.
Figures from the Foreign Trade Promoter (Procomer) detail that between the first nine months of 2018 and the same period of 2019, exports registered a slight increase, going from $8,490 million to $8,629 million.
After last year's sales of grain abroad grew 19% compared to 2017, in the first eight months of 2019 Nicaraguan cocoa exports totaled $5.8 million, 48% more than in the same period of 2018.
Regarding the volume traded, the figures of the Exports Processing Center (Cetrex) that between January and August 2018 and the same period of 2019, the figure increased from 2,433 to 3,405 tons.
Honduran companies and authorities of both countries are agreeing on dates to review and endorse the phytosanitary measures of those interested in exporting the fruit.
According to the authorities of the National Agricultural Health Service (Senasa) of Honduras, the South American country presented days ago to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the phytosanitary requirements for the import of melon from the Central American country.
Last year, the main regional crop sold abroad was coffee, with $2.671 million, followed by banana, with $2.594 million, pineapple, with $1.097 million and sugar, with $722 million.
Data from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralamericaData:
The main coffee export destinations were the U.S., Germany, Belgium, Italy, Japan and Canada, which together represent 70% of the volume exported by the region, equivalent to approximately $2,050 million. [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
During the first three months of the year, the country exported $109 million worth of fruit, 12% less than in the same period in 2018, in part because of the closure of one of the most important companies.
Figures from the Banco de Guatemala detail that between the first quarter of 2018 and the same period of 2019, foreign sales of fresh, dried and frozen fruits decreased from $123 million to $109 million.
Even though in 2018 cocoa was better quoted internationally, the volume sold abroad fell 8% compared to 2017, going down from 4,238 to 3,886 tons.
In contrast to the negative variation in the volume traded, figures from the Export Processing Center (Cetrex) detail that between 2017 and 2018 the value of exports registered a 18.9% growth, increasing from $5.3 million to $6.3 million. This increase is explained by the behavior of the grain price.
In October and November last year, gold grain exports from Nicaragua totaled $13 million, 60% less than what was sold in the same months of 2017.
Figures from the Export Processing Center (Cetrex) detail that in the first two months of 2018-2019 harvest, the country sold abroad 103,380 quintals of gold grain, 58% less than the 248,808 quintals exported in the same period of the 2017-2018 harvest.
In the first half of the year, countries in the region exported $51 million in frozen fruit, 11% less than in the same period in 2017.
Figures from the information system on the Frozen Fruit Market in Central America compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
During the first six months of the year, palm oil sales from Central America reached $383 million, and exports to Spain increased 232% with respect to the first half of 2017.
Figures from the information system on the Palm Oil and its Components market in Central America complied by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
Coffee is still the main agricultural product sold abroad, with annual exports of around $3,035 million, followed by bananas, with $2,574 million and sugar, with $1,241 million.
Figures from the interactive platform "Central American Crops Monitoring" compiled by CentralAmericaData's Business Intelligence Unit:
The countries of the region exported fresh and refrigerated vegetables for $59 million from January to March 2018, 25% more than in the same period in 2017.
Figures from the information system Fresh or Chilled Vegetables Market in Central America, compiled by the Trade Intelligence Area at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
Between January 2012 and March 2018, the average price of Guatemalan raw sugar exports has been falling, going from $0.58 to $0.34 per kilo.
Figures from the Information System on the Sugar Market in Guatemala, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]