The local strategy includes overcoming deficiencies in order to compete with their counterparts in Vietnam, China and Cambodia.
Only those that adapt will survive. By applying the Darwinian theory of survival of the species to businesses, the Honduran companies are trying to improve their competitiveness in the global market with the project called "Improving the competitiveness of the textile and manufacturing industry in Honduras."
At an investment of $5 million the first stage of the Honduras Pacific Free Zone, which will host the textile factories, was inaugurated.
The total projected investment is $100 million in 10 years; the first stage should generate some 300 direct jobs and should increase to 5,000 in the next few years, as well as the development of a housing project for workers.
The Honduran Maquila Association is preparing programs that will allow it to better face the challenges of the industry.
One of these programs was presented yesterday by American Steven Jessep and deals with improving competitiveness through training and technical assistance for workers in general in the maquila industry.
The Gildan firm which has been operating in Choloma, Cortes, for some 5 years now is expanding its activities and will generate some 4 thousand new jobs.
According to the maquila's representative on the Honduran Counsel of Private Companies (COHEP), Guillermo Matamoros, Gildan is one of the most serious companies in the world in this sector.
"This expansion demonstrates that despite the safeguards imposed by the United States against Honduran socks, the industry in Honduras has been able to respond to the challenges it faces in the international market," he pointed out.
On September 1 the "Pacific Free Zone" (Zip Choluteca) industrial complex will official begin operations, and should eventually provide jobs to some 5000 persons from the southern zone of the country.
Zip Choluteca is located in the sector called "Ciudad Valcanes," an area that is approximately 516 acres, and will have an industrial and commercial area, a bilingual school, and 250 houses for which credit will be made available to workers from the Zone.
The main market for Hondura maquilas is the US, however, because of its strength of the sector the objective now is to venture immediately into Europe.
This is the proposal presented by a mission from the Honduran Maquila Industry (IHM) to their peers in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and El Salvador at a recent meeting held in El Salvador.
The amount is higher that those of the same period from March to May of last year.
According to figures from the Honduran Maquila Association (AHM), during the first five months of this year they managed to export $978,023,000.00, compared to the $950 million from the same period last year.
Even though the figure is higher than that of 2007, it is still lower than in 2005, when exports where $93 million more for the same period.
Three US spinning companies have cancelled plans to invest in Honduras because of the high costs of electricity, said Daniel Facussé head of the national association of maquiladoras (assembly plants).
"The spinning industry represents the first stage of the textile industry. We need them to invest but they say the recent increases in electricity tariffs don't make it economically viable," Facussé said.