The first three trade missions organized for exporters in Guatemala will focus on the potential of mass consumer and agricultural products in those markets.
From the Agexport press release:
The Trade Intelligence Unit of the Department of Market Development and Commercial Promotion of AGEXPORT, will carry out in 2019 different commercial missions towards the "Best Markets & Best Products" selected by AGEXPORT to open, strengthen and consolidate business opportunities for Guatemalan companies.
The complex economic and political situation that has affected Nicaragua since April continues to affect Central America, where exporters report losses of $45 million.
In the past months, cargo transport faced difficulties in moving goods along Nicaragua's highways due to demonstrators' blockades and insecurity, seriously affecting Central American companies.
The high logistic costs and the appreciation of the Quetzal against the dollar are two of the factors which, according to exporters, have prevented better performance from being achieved in recent years.
According to Agexport, exports of Guatemalan agricultural products in the last 6 years have registered very low growth, going from $2.96 billion in 2011 to $3.2 billion in 2016.In the same period, non-traditional agricultural products which registered a decrease were peeled sesame seeds (-14%), frozen peas (-6%), broccoli (-47%), frozen beans (-35%), tomatoes (-35% %), potatos (-48%), and mangos (-3%), among others.
Falling short of the the amount achieved in 2015, $42 million worth of deals were negotiated in purchase intentions of products such as honey, fresh fruits, processed foods, seafood, vegetables and meat.
Although the goal of the union of Nicaraguan exporters was more than $48 million traded in the 2015 edition of the trade fair, they did manage to achieve $42 million in two days of activity, which was attended by 64 international buyers from the United States, Canada, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Brazil, Spain and Puerto Rico.
The union of exporters claims that business opportunities are being lost due to the slow pace of processing and issue of permits and certificates for export.
Juan Bulnes, president of the Panamanian Association of Exporters (APEX), told Prensa.com that"...'For exporters, the National Customs Authority (ANA) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) are a thorn in their side'."
Added to the factors already deteriorating competitiveness in the export sector are increased thefts of merchandise on the country's roads and infiltration of drug trafficking in exports.
The National Chamber of Cargo Carriers (Canatrac) reports that attacks on trucks on roads in the country have increased since 2012.They state "... on average 12 assaults used to be committed per year, however the figure has risen to 20 in recent years'."
Salvadoran exporters claim that the system used by the Ministry of Finance from November to return VAT has put a strain on companies liquidity.
The new mechanism to refund VAT to exporters (which has been in force since November), has caused new problems between the sector and the tax authority of El Salvador.
A meeting is being convened for exporters who want to explore business opportunities abroad.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in El Salvador, through its Committee of Exporters, is inviting the media to give coverage to the " Exporters Business Meeting: Business Opportunities Abroad What do I need?" Which will bring together some 100 domestic exporters interested in expansion to foreign markets for their Salvadoran products.
In Costa Rica the Chamber of Importers (CRECEX) has began signing up members and providing services to exporters, while the Chamber of Exporters (CADEXCO) is experiencing an institutional crisis.
CRECEX has announced the start of the program "Export CRECEX" directed at the export sector.
"The plan to attract exporters to CRECEX is taking shape while Cadexco is still in a process of internal fragmentation, known about publicly since 27 January.