The Honduran maquiladora industry is increasingly benefiting from the agreement which stimulates and protects Canadian investments coming into the country.
This industry has shown great optimism after the approval of the trade agreement. "We will have several advantages," says Daniel Facussé, president of the Honduran Maquila Association (AHM).
While some clothing manufacturers are leaving the country, Gildan has decided to expand its operations with a new plant.
The new plant in which the textile company Gildan will invest more than $6 million will be ready in 12 months, and will have the capacity to produce 1.5 million kilos of fabric per week, employing 1500 workers.
The decision to extend the program reflects the confidence the company has in the country, which contrasts with other companies in the industry who have chosen to settle in other markets, driven by the decline in competitiveness and increased production and labor costs .
The textile company closed its 4 plants in Alabama, USA, and will transfer operations to its facilities in Rio Nance, Honduras.
The transition will involve the dismissal of about 300 workers in the United States, to be carried out in April of this year. The company expects to increase production up to 65 million dozens of socks in their two plants in Honduras.
The arrival of new textile plants, the expansion of three plants and the reopening of another were announced by the textile sector.
With an investment of $ 50 to $ 60 million, the National Commission of Free Zones (CNZF) is negotiating the installation of a new textile factory with a foreign capital group.
Dean García Foster, executive director of the Nicaraguan Association of Textiles and Apparel (Anitec), said three textile companies have confirmed their expansion plans, which involves an estimated investment of $ 20 million.
The company announced an initial investment of $5 million in a pilot renewable energy program, and further investment up to $50 million.
Called “Citizen Video Protection” (“Video Protección Ciudadana”), the project includes installing 342 security cameras in the provinces of San José, Limón, Alajuela and Heredia, to assist in surveillance tasks.
Pedro Pablo Quirós, ICE president, explained that “these cameras can capture photographs, store them, process them, receive commands and suggest actions, as they not only capture video and images, but include intelligence to assist in providing security”.
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