For Costa Rican businessmen, the neighboring country is a very important market, since it is dedicated to logistics, trade and financial intermediation, and demands different types of goods produced by Costa Rica.
In 2018 Costa Rican exports to the Panamanian market totaled $606 million, which positioned Panama as the fourth most important destination for foreign sales, surpassed only by the United States, Holland and Belgium.
The Guatemalan export sector identifies Florida, Texas, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, New Jersey and New York as the U.S. states with the greatest potential for the country's exportable supply.
The Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport) presented the "Best Markets, Products and Services 2019", which is based on the analysis of different macroeconomic variables, sustained growth and market dimensions, to show the exporter the opportunities with the greatest potential.
The slowdown in domestic consumption in Costa Rica, together with the local currency depreciation, will cause customers to buy fewer high-end technology products.
In the report published by the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) called the October-2018 Economic Situation Report, it is explained that the slow increase in credit, imports of final consumer goods and tax collection are clear indicators of a slowdown in domestic demand.
In Costa Rica about 30% of supermarkets are in San Jose, Guatemala, the metropolitan area concentrates 45% of establishments, while in Panama, 32% are in West Panama.
An analysis of the Trade Intelligence area of CentralAmericaData provides interesting results on where they are located, who they are, if they operate independently or if they belong to a chain or business group.
Explained by better promotional efforts, the proportion of Costa Rican SMEs that export to Asian, South American and Caribbean countries continues to grow.
According to the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (Procomer), last year 86% of companies that sold goods in South America were SMEs, in the case of Asia the proportion reached 81% and for the Caribbean it was 80%.
Between 2016 and 2017, the country registered a 9% increase in the number of lines in operation, rising from 18.2 million to 19.9 million.
According to figures from the Superintendency of Telecommunications (SIT), the number of prepaid mobile phone lines also registered an increase of 9%, rising from 17.2 million in 2016 to 18.8 million at the end of 2017.
Guatemalan businessmen say that the boom in vertical housing is changing the demand for storage services in mini warehouses, which are increasingly sought out by families.
Regarding new trends, the CEO of Mr. Bodeguitas, Federico Rolz, explained to Elperiodico.com.gt that "...The Generation 3 project, located in Las Charcas, zone 11 of the city, is characterized by having buildings with independent alarms, corridors designed for residential users which becomes an extension of the office and the house."
According to the union of exporters, for 2018 the destinations that represent potential opportunities for special coffees are Taiwan, China, Australia, Malaysia, Czech Republic and Chile.
In the case of the Chilean market, the first multisectorial trade mission led by the Department of Market Development and Commercial Promotion of the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport) was carried out in 2017, in which more than 50 commercial appointments were attended, showing high interest for the special coffees of Guatemala.
In 2016 imports of domestic and industrial refrigerators and freezers totaled $94 million, and the value imported from Mexico grew by 41% compared to 2015.
Figures from the information system on the Market for Refrigerators, Freezers and Other Cold Production Machinery in Panama compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with the graph"]
HPC Contratas P & V will not finish the construction of public markets and supply stores in La Chorrera, and the bond company will have to hire another company or pay the performance bond.
After three years of cessation of work by the contractor due to liquidity problems in the consortium HPC Contratas P & V, the state run Mercado Nacional de la Cadena de Frío decided to terminate the contract.
Although it has reduced its dependence on the USA as an export destination, Guatemala could find new opportunities with the expected shift in the trade policy between the US and Mexico.
Analysts recognize the value of finding other markets but also warn about the importance of continuing to watch the events in light of the statements made by President-elect Trump during his campaign regarding a possible revision of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Mexico.
HPC Contratas P & V has announced it will resume construction of public markets and supplies to La Chorrera, and if progress is not demonstrated in the next three months, the bond will be implemented.
Prensa.com reports that "...The contractor, under investigation for alleged diversion of public fundsin the construction of the Convention Center at Amador, has promised to resume work on Tuesday, November 29, 2016. "
In 2014 production of 538 million eggs was recorded, an increase of 57% compared with 2005, when there were 342 million.
The annual per capita consumption rose from 102 units in 2005 to 137 in 2014, equivalent to an increase of 34% over the last decade. Marketing experts and poultry farmers attributed the growth in egg consumption mainly to a trend in replacing beef with the poultry products.
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration has approved a loan of $48 million for the construction and equipping of an agricultural wholesale market in the north of the country.
The use of the loan must still be approved by the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica.
From the website of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE):
The Ministry of Public Works is proposing the creation of a National Asphalt Division, an entity which would be responsible for overseeing the quality of asphalt used on roads.
At the moment, authorization is being awaited from the Ministry of Finance for the creation of the National Asphalt Division which aims to, among other things, regulate the business of manufacturing concrete in the country, as well as improving control of product quality.