The Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing of Guatemala is conducting a tender to purchase different materials for the construction of houses for people affected by the tropical depressions Eta and Iota in some municipalities of the departments of Petén, Zacapa and Alta Verapaz.
Panama's Ministry of Housing requires different supplies to improve abandoned properties in deplorable conditions in the provinces of Chorrillo, Santa Ana and Calidonia.
Panama Government Purchase 2021-0-14-0-08-08-LP-018752:
"The bidding will be on a lump sum basis to obtain the 127 various supplies needed to make improvements to abandoned properties in poor condition in Chorrillo, Santa Ana and Calidonia. Some of the supplies are as follows:
In recent years, cement from Vietnam has gained importance in terms of amount purchased, as in 2016 it represented just 0.01% of total regional imports and in 2020 it became the main supplier, as the share went up to 32%.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graph"]
Panama's Ministry of Public Works tenders the supply of asphalt concrete, material to be delivered nationwide.
Panama Government Purchase 2021-0-09-0-99-LP-007557:
"Each aggregate to be used in the preparation of the asphalt mix will be stored in separate piles, in such a way that they do not contaminate each other, nor segregate from each other. The aggregates shall be fed to the dryer separately in proportions that will produce a combination within the requirements of the Job Formula.
In Panama, the bill that formulates the obligation to supervise the quality of the materials used in the construction of parking lots was approved in the third debate.
The plenary of the National Assembly approved this initiative in the third debate after considering it as a great security measure for people who invest in a home, explains an official statement.
In the last year in El Salvador, sales of hardware stores have remained dynamic, a situation that is explained by changes in living habits resulting from the pandemic, as in recent months’ consumers have decided to invest in remodeling their homes.
The increase in family remittances is another factor that has influenced the increase in hardware store sales.
In recent years, cement from Vietnam has gained importance in terms of the amount purchased, as from January to September 2018 they represented 10% of total regional imports and for the same period in 2020 the proportion rose to 30%.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graph"]
In Guatemala, Cemex S.A. plans to invest close to $16 million in the expansion of its production plant located in the municipality of Puerto de San José, department of Escuintla.
According to the interactive platform "Construction in Central America" of CentralAmericaData's Business Intelligence Unit, Cemex Guatemala S.A., submitted to the Ministry of Environment the Environmental Impact Study (EIA) to develop the project called "Arizona Plant Capacity Expansion".
During 2020, it is estimated that the average price of a ton of steel increased 19%, a rise that impacts the construction industry and is explained by the increase in logistics costs and the suspension of the extraction of the material due to the outbreak of covid-19.
Central American businessmen report that during last year, which was marked by the sanitary and economic crisis, the average price per ton of steel increased by $130, going from $670 to $800.
Because several construction projects were stopped due to the pandemic, residential remodeling work became an important source of income for hardware stores competing in the Costa Rican market.
The spread of covid-19 forced the Costa Rican authorities to impose restrictions on productive activities, one of which was construction, a sector that paralyzed several investments being made in 2020.
El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua were the Central American markets that increased their hydraulic cement imports in the first half of 2020 in year-on-year terms.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
The Ministry of Housing of Panama tenders the supply of materials for the construction of 200 homes nationwide.
Panama Government Purchase 2020-0-14-0-99-LP-016451:
"Detail of the required materials:
-60,000 6''x8''x16'' concrete blocks must have 5% basalt sand and comply with standards ASTN C 140-03, copanit 163-01 and copanit 48-01.
-6,200 wooden forms.
The hardware store chain EPA opened a new 4 thousand square meter branch, located in the city of San Miguel.
The new establishment that was inaugurated on November 11 is located on Miguel Angel Benett Avenue and 30 South Avenue. According to information provided by the company's directors, this commercial establishment, which is the third in the country, will offer the public more than 10,500 products.
The Ministry of Public Works tenders the supply for use in the production of asphalt mix in different plants.
Panama Government Purchase 2020-0-09-0-99-LP-007095:
"Detail of the requirements:
-2,000,000 kilograms of AC-30 asphalt for use in the Vacamonte plant
-700,000 kilograms of AC-30 asphalt for use in the Chiriqui plant
-500,000 kilograms of AC-30 asphalt for use in the El Roble plant in Aguadulce