In 2015 Guatemala led the export of raw sugar with $848 million, followed by El Salvador with $178 million and Nicaragua with $114 million.
Foreign Trade figures for Raw sugar in Central America, analyzed by the Business Intelligence unit at CentralAmericaData report that in 2015 the countries in Central America exported a combined total of 3 million 292 thousand tons of raw sugar equivalent to $1.289 billion.
Colombian MD2 pineapple producers are negotiating with South Korea, Israel and the European Union in order to start exporting the product in 2015.
From a statement issued by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office (Procomer):
Bengala Agrícola S.A.S. is a Colombian agricultural producer and exporter based in Cali, Valle del Cauca; one of the main drivers of economic development in Colombia.
The USA and Japan acquired 57% of the crop from 2013/2014, followed by Germany with 10.6%, Canada 7.5%, Belgium 4.5% and Sweden with 4.1% and other countries with the remaining 6.3%.
The top three countries which bought Salvadoran coffee are the; the United States, which with $47.5 million bought 291 thousand hundredweight of green coffee, Japan, which invested $15 million in 80,000 hundredweight and Germany, which received 69,000 hundredweight for $10.2 million.
Projections are for the period 2014-2019 of an average annual growth of 5% in sales of organic chocolate in the country.
From an article by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
In 2013, the chocolate confectionery industry in America had sales of $18,459 million, representing an average annual growth of 3.7% since 2009.
The segment of organic chocolate in the US had the strongest growth since 2009, as its sales increased by an average of 4.9% annually. It is expected that by 2014 sales in this segment will reach $185 million; also projected was that the average annual growth between 2014 and 2019 will be 5%, making it as the most dynamic segment of the US chocolate industry, a situation that has been attributed to a growing trend in the North American country to consume products certified organic for health and wellbeing reasons.
Indians preferences in consumption are starting to change as the purchasing power of the middle class grows.
From a press release issued by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office (Procomer):
The retail market in India presents opportunities for the food trade, due to the increase in disposable income of an emerging middle class population of over one billion people, growing urbanization and higher aspirations, especially among the younger generation, who have become a conduit for the market.
Mexico and Guatemala's increased participation in the fruit market drove the price from $9 to $5 per box.
"Export volumes are the same compared to 2011 and 2012, but prices have come down due to the shared window we have with Mexico and Guatemala," said the Honduran producer Amaro Lanza to Latribuna.hn.
"Hopefully the Mexicans will finish their production window so that we can enter ours and manage to raise prices and get at least 30 days advantage," he said.
The entry into force of the FTA with the European Union opens up opportunities for Colombia products such as lemons, Tahiti, papaya, cantaloupe and watermelons.
From an article by the Costa Rican Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
With the entry into force of the FTA between the EU and Colombia, as of August 2013, the Colombian are looking to to venture much further into markets such as the German one, because one of the signs of the growing deamand in Europe is that 46% of imports which arrived at Frankfurt airport, which weighed 98,600 in 2012, were for fruit and vegetables.
During the 2013-14 harvest ending on October 31 490,000 metric tons of sugar were exported while in the previous harvest the amount was 412,000 MT.
According to the Sugar Association of El Salvador , the main destinations of the country's raw sugar are the USA, Chile, Russia, Taiwan and Canada. Meanwhile, the refined product is sold to the Netherlands, Chile, Taiwan and other Caribbean countries .
The international market is increasingly accepting coffee shipments in one ton containers.
An article in Laprensa.hn reports that "IntercontinentalExchange, home of the most traded coffee contract, announced last week that it would allow grain shipments to its certified deposits in lined cargo containers or 'supersacks'."
"... Cargo containers for loose grain are now being traded in the physical coffee market.
The country imports 90% of flowers demanded making it the second biggest buyer of the product within the European Union.
A statement from the Foreign Trade Promotion Office of Costa Rica (PROCOMER) reads:
In the UK there is a population of nearly 63 million people with high absorption capacity and a culture of acquisition of flowers, which determines that this country is the second largest importer of flowers and ornamental foliage within the European Union.
In countries such as the U.S. and Switzerland, consumers prefer dark chocolate, driving up demand for cocoa worldwide.
According to market research by Euromonitor International, the value of a kilogram of chocolate in the United States reached a record high of $12.25 this year, up by 45% compared to the amount reported in 2007.
The increase in price has occurred because of a shortage of cocoa beans, which are roasted and ground to produce chocolate. It has even been forecast that the supply this year will not be enough to meet demand, mainly due to a drought in West Africa, where 70% of cocoa beans are produced.
Nicaragua and Honduras are allowed to sell 65,000 more metric tons duty-free to the European Union.
The country has given approval for both Nicaragua and Honduras to receive this benefit temporarily, until the trade agreement becomes effective for Guatemala. "The Council of Ministers of Economy and Trade for Central America (Comieco) gave authorization this weekend for each country in the region to be able to make available its quotas at will" reported Nicaraguahoy.info.
The country won't cede its sugar quota to Nicaragua and Honduras, and it opposes to Guatemala, El Salvador and Panama conceding theirs.
For Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador the Association Agreement with the European Union has not yet entered into force, so they are prevented from offering their sugar in an auction where 35 buyers bid to bring it to market in the old continent.
The sector, which was ready to export 10,000 tonnes of sugar to the European Union, must wait two more months to do so.
Non-acceptance by dairy farmers in El Salvador and Costa Rica of the geographical indicators for Italian cheeses has caused a delay of at least 60 days of the entry into force of the Association Agreement with the EU.
"We were ready to export, but if there is no treaty we will have to send the sugar to another market at a lower price than would have been paid by the Europe" said Julio Arroyo, CEO of the Sugar Association of El Salvador.
Plans are underway in Chicago, USA to open a cargo center for perishable goods which includes flowers, one of the foremost products in the perishable goods category.
From an article by the Costa Rican Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
Market development of floriculture in the U.S. has shifted mainly towards determining the capacity of distribution centers.