During the first quarter of the year, the trade deficit was $1.352 million, 20% higher than the $1.129 million reported in the same period of 2018.
During the first quarter of 2019, as a result of general merchandise trade transactions abroad, a deficit of $1.352 million was obtained, $222.7 million higher than the accumulated in the same period of 2018, reflecting a 11.6% drop in exports ($147.2 million) and a 3.1% increase ($75.5 million) in imports, reported the Central Bank of Honduras (BCH).
In the first quarter of the year, Panama reported purchases abroad for $3.167 million, and imports of consumer goods grew 4% over the same period in 2018.
The most recent report of the General Comptroller of the Republic details that between the first quarter of 2018 and the same period of 2019 foreign purchases fell by $53 million, from $3.220 million to $3.167 million.
Until May 20, the validity of the regional contingency plan was extended to customs, which was activated because of the difficulties generated by the use of the Central American Single Declaration.
Since May 7, when the Single Central American Declaration (DUCA) was implemented at the regional level, the situation in customs has been complicated, because of multiple difficulties reported in the import and export processes arising from the implementation of the new system.
Because the entry into force of the Central American Single Declaration has generated delays in the import and export processes, a contingency plan will be implemented at all customs offices in the region.
By agreement of the Council of Ministers of Economic Integration (COMIECO), on May 7 the Single Central American Declaration (DUCA) was implemented at the regional level, a situation that has generated many difficulties arising from the implementation of the new system in the import and export processes.
With the entry into force of the Single Central American Declaration, businessmen in the region report losses because of the delays generated by the implementation of the new system in the import and export processes.
At the end of March, a report was made that the Council of Economic Ministers (COMIECO) agreed to postpone to May 7, 2019, the entry into force of the Single Central American Declaration (DUCA), which had initially been set for April 1, 2019.
During the first two months of the year, the trade balance recorded a $914 million deficit, resulting in a 24.3% increase over the $735 million reported for the same period in 2018.
Up to February 2019, the general merchandise trade balance registered a $914.2 million deficit, $178.8 million higher than the accumulated in the same period of 2018, a change explained by the 14.6% drop in exports ($124 million) and a 3.5% increase in imports ($54.8 million), according to a report by the Central Bank of Honduras.
In the first three months of the year, the country's foreign sales reached $1.466 billion, which is $16 million lower than what was reported in the first quarter of 2018, a decrease explained by the behavior of exports from the manufacturing industry.
From the Central Reserve Bank report:
At the end of the first quarter of 2019, El Salvador's exports accumulated a total of US$1,466.3 million, US$16.2 million less than the same quarter of 2018 (1.1% less).
In the first two months of the year, foreign sales totaled $434 million, 4% less than in the same period in 2018, mainly because of exports from the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
The Central Bank of Nicaragua reported that the value of exports of mining products were the only ones that registered a positive result in February (a 2.4% increase).
The fifth round of negotiations, to be held from April 24 to 26 in Beijing, is expected to make further progress on issues related to market access and attracting investment, among others.
From the statement of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries of Panama:
Panama City, April 23, 2019. The teams from the Republic of Panama and the People's Republic of China begin tomorrow Wednesday the fifth round of negotiations for the Trade Agreement between the two countries.
During the first two months of the year, Costa Rican exports to countries in the region totaled $393 million, 3% less than what was reported for the same period in 2018.
According to data from the Promotora del Comercio Exterior (Procomer), in the first two months of 2019 Costa Rica's exports increased by 3.2% over the first two months of 2018, going from $1.743 million to $1.800 million.
With the aim of better publicizing the operation of the Single Declaration, it was agreed to postpone the entry into force of the document until May 7, 2019.
The entry into force of the Central American Single Declaration (DUCA) had initially been set for April 1, 2019.
From the statement of the Single Window for Exports of Guatemala:
March 28, 2019. The Customs Office of the Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) informs that the Council of Economic Ministers (COMIECO) in a meeting held on March 28, 2019 in Guatemala City, through Resolution No. 410-2019, agreed to postpone until May 7, 2019, the entry into force of the Central American Single Declaration (DUCA) which had been set for April 1, 2019.
The government of the Central American country announced that in the coming months it plans to open a Commercial Office in Jerusalem as an extension of its Embassy in Tel Aviv.
From the Presidency of Honduras statement:
President Juan Orlando Hernandez announced today at the annual conference of the United States-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) that Honduras will immediately open a Commercial Office in Jerusalem as an extension of its Embassy in Tel Aviv.
During the first month of the year, the trade balance recorded a deficit of $473 million, resulting in a 10.7% increase over the $427 million reported in January 2018.
In January 2019, the general merchandise trade balance registered a deficit of $472.5 million, $45.4 million higher than that recorded in the same month of 2018, as a result of: imports that totaled $823 million ($15.8 million less than those of January 2018), compared to exports that reflected a value of $350.5 million ($61.2 million lower than those of the same month of the previous year), informed the Central Bank of Honduras (BCH).
During the first half of this year, it is expected to implement in Guatemala the single window for the facilitation of imports, which would operate through an electronic platform.
The Ministry of Economy reported that to implement the single window, there is already a working group in which representatives of the productive sector and authorities of the portfolios of Health and Agriculture to agree.
Last year, the trade balance registered a deficit of $6.122 million, resulting in a 19% increase over the $5.149 million reported in 2017.
From the Central Bank of Honduras report:
At the end of 2018, FOB exportations of general merchandise accumulated a value of US$4,373.2 million, lower by 3.6% (US$162.6 million) regarding the shown in 2017, mainly because of the decrease in sales of coffee, palm oil, sugar, gold and shrimp; behavior fundamentally associated to the decrease experienced in international prices.