From January to July 2020, companies in the countries of the region imported from Mexico infant and toddler formulas for $57 million, and 50% was purchased by companies in Honduras and Nicaragua.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
From January to June 2019, companies in the region imported $93 million in food for dogs and cats, and purchases from Mexican companies increased 10% over the same period in 2018.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphics"]
In Nicaragua, the tax exemption that benefited the import of products such as canned sardines, prepared soups, toilet soap, rubber gloves, among others, was eliminated.
With this change, the products concerned will be applied the Import Tariff Rate (DAI), which is a tax contained in the Central American Import Tariff and is applied to products from countries outside the Central American region, on the value of them, the taxes have variable rates that can range between 5% and 15%.
In the first nine months of 2018, countries in the region imported candies, chocolates and other cocoa-based preparations for $249 million, 2% more than in the first half of 2017.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphics]
Panama notified the international organization of its decision to initiate a safeguard investigation into certain cuts of fresh, chilled or frozen pork.
According to Resolution No. 003 of May 3, 2019, published in the Gaceta Oficial (Official Gazette), the Panamanian government ordered "to begin an investigation for the possible imposition of safeguard measures to the product Pork meat, fresh, chilled or frozen; in carcasses or half carcasses, bone-in or boneless, fit for human consumption, requested by the Asociación Nacional de Porcinoculturoes de Panamá (ANAPOR)."
Arguing that the import quota allocated for this year was reached, Panama applied a special safeguard measure on certain fractions of pork products originating in the USA.
The measure applies to pork in carcasses or half carcasses, legs, shoulders, and their bone-in pieces, hams, and pork ribs, so now importers will have to pay a regular tariff of between 40% and 70% to import pork from the aforementioned U.S. country.
In the first nine months of 2018, Central American countries imported $347 million worth of baked goods, pastries and cookies, and purchases from U.S. companies grew 3% over the same period in 2017.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with chart"]
The sustained rise in imports of dairy products, coupled with drought in different parts of the country, explains the reduction of more than 50% reported in milk production in the Dominican Republic.
Directors of the Dominican Association of Milk Producers (Aproleche), estimate that between 2012 and 2018, the purchase of liquid milk abroad went from 900 thousand liters to 40 million liters.
In the first quarter of the year, Honduras imported $24 million worth of baked goods, confectionery and biscuit products, and purchases made from companies in El Salvador grew by 11% compared to the same period in 2017.
Figures from the information system on the Market for Baked Goods, Pastry and Biscuit Products in Honduras, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
In the first three months of the year, Central American countries imported $118 million worth of bakery, confectionery and biscuit products, and $49 million worth was purchased by companies in Guatemala and Honduras.
Figures from the information system on the Market for Baked Goods, Pastry and Biscuit Products in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData : [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
In the first three months of the year, countries in the region imported $82 million worth of confectionery, chocolates and other preparations based on cocoa, and 48% came from the USA and Mexico.
Data from the information system on the Confectionery and Chocolate Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData:
Between 2016 and 2017, imports of baked goods, pastry and biscuit products in Central American countries grew by 3%, rising from $470 million to $483 million.
Figures from the information system on the Market for Baked Goods, Pastry and Biscuit Products in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
In 2017, Central American countries imported $343 million worth of confectionery, chocolates and other preparations based on cocoa, 4%, more than in the previous year.
Figures from the information system of the Confectionery and Chocolate Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
From January to November 2017, Central American countries imported 19,000 tons of food supplies from Mexico, 10% more than the amount purchased in the same period in 2016.
Figures from the information system on the the Food Preparation Ingredients Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]