As a result of the blockade that has been in place since July 2020 on the entry of animal products from Costa Rica into the Panamanian market, Costa Rican exports to Panama are reported to have fallen and companies such as Dos Pinos are reporting losses in the millions.
The trade conflict began when Panama informed the National Animal Health Service (SENASA), an agency of Costa Rica's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), of the decision not to extend export authorization to a list of previously authorized Costa Rican establishments that have been trading in the Panamanian market for many years.
The analysis of data and large volumes of images, combined with the implementation of innovative methodologies, allows companies to size up how many of their products could be marketed in outlets classified as informal.
More and more companies need to identify and estimate, with precision, what portion of their market they may not be serving. At the same time, they need to gauge the likelihood that their products are being sold in places that are classified as informal. In many cases, the actual size of the parallel market that these types of establishments make up is not always on the radar of manufacturing and distribution companies.
Some of the most notable effects caused by the spread of covid-19 is the cancellation of at least 8,000 hotel nights in Costa Rica, and the interruption by Iberia of its flights from Madrid to Guatemala and San Salvador.
Businessmen in the region agree that due to the virus that has been spreading from China, supply chains have been interrupted, which is combined with a drop in the transit of people, causing losses to the tourism sector.
A drop in the flow of tourists to the region, cancellation of reservations and the suspension of flights are part of the expected consequences of the spread of the virus worldwide.
According to the report prepared by the Central Bank of Costa Rica called "Commentary on the national economy for February 2020", derived from the outbreak of pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus (coronavirus) is expected to report a negative impact on the influx of tourists to the country.
Because of factors such as business closures and lack of opportunities, it is estimated that criminal activity costs Honduras and El Salvador 16% of GDP, and in the case of Guatemala, its losses could amount to 7% of its production.
In Central America, the human costs of crime remain one of the highest in the world. El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—referred to as the Northern Triangle— account for about four-and-a-half percent of homicides worldwide despite only having about one-half-percent of the world's population.
Because the area of stolen land in Guatemala has grown from about 10,000 hectares in the 1990s to 164,000 in 2018, losses in agricultural production caused by this phenomenon reached nearly $650 million last year.
The Chamber of Agriculture (Camagro) estimates that only in 2018, invasions of private property, mainly agricultural production farms, generated a negative impact equivalent to 0.6% of Gross Domestic Product.
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.
A drastic fall in productive activity, outflows of investments and the disappearance of thousands of formal jobs are some of the consequences a year after the political and economic crisis in Nicaragua.
In March 2018, CentralAmericaData reported the figures that reflected the economic boom that Nicaragua was experiencing: formal employment grew at a year-on-year rate of close to 3%, economic activity each month recorded year-on-year growth rates of between 4% and 5%, while consumption and imports increased. Only a month later, on Friday, April 19, a series of events occurred that determined a radical change in the trend observed until then. The announcement of the reform of the Nicaraguan Social Security Institute triggered a social, political and economic crisis that the country is suffering so far.
The European Parliament will evaluate Nicaragua's possible suspension of the Association Agreement, which allows 91% of products, mostly agricultural, to enter the 28 EU countries under preferential conditions.
The European Parliament plans to discuss Nicaragua's suspension of the Association Agreement (AA), an agreement that allows 91% of products, mostly agricultural, to enter the 28 EU countries under preferential conditions.
Because of the crisis affecting the country since April last year, it is estimated that during 2018 the losses of the Nicaraguan tourism sector totaled $440 million, and more than 62 thousand jobs disappeared.
The arrival of tourists to the country is another figure reporting a considerable decline last year, since between 2017 and 2018 the number of visitors who came to Nicaragua fell 55%, going from 1.7 million to 800 thousand.
After the political and social crisis that began in April, the Nicaraguan economy will lose more than $1.3 billion this year, and GDP could decline by 4%, together with the collateral effects suffered by the countries of the region.
Several indicators have reflected the weak performance of the country's economy since the crisis began. One of them is the IMAE, as the Central Bank of Nicaragua reported that following the trend that has been observed since May, in September the index reported a 4.3% decrease compared to the same month in 2017.
Because of the social and political crisis, businessmen working in the freight transport sector in Nicaragua estimate that by the end of this year their operations will have been down by up to 25%.
According to the Transporters Association of Nicaragua (ATN), the crisis that began in April this year has caused losses in cargo transport activity in the country, and the operations of companies in the sector are estimated to register a 25% reduction in 2018 compared to 2017.
In September, sales of houses in Nicaragua reported a fall of 80%, and sales of vehicles and hotels were reduced 75% and 70%, respectively, compared to the same month last year.
According to the Second Monitoring of Economic Activities in Nicaragua, prepared by the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (Cosep) and the Nicaraguan Foundation for Economic and Social Development (Funides), during September sales of advertising agencies fell 48%, those of distributors of medical equipment 40% and those of restaurants 35%, compared to the ninth month of 2017.
Managua's restaurant trade association reports the closure of at least 700 fast food restaurants in recent months.
According to representatives of the Association of Restaurant Owners of Managua, due to the low levels of sales reported in recent months, at least 700 restaurants have closed their operations.
Regarding the massive closure of restaurants, René Hauser, president of the Managua restaurant trade union, said to Elnuevodiario.com.ni that "... That decision was made because of the socio-political crisis the country has been facing since April. Although shopping centers made discounts between 10% and 20% in the rental payment, the low influx of buyers was not cost-effective to continue operating."
The sector's guild reported that 24 charter flights scheduled to arrive in the country from Canada were cancelled between December and February 2019.
The representatives of the National Chamber of Tourism of Nicaragua (Canatur) confirmed that with the cancellation of flights, will stop arriving between 2,000 and 3,000 tourists.
In this regard, the president of Canatur, Lucy Valenti, explained to Laprensa.com.ni that "...