españolSoaps: Unilever Moves Production to GuatemalaWednesday, November 20, 2019 The company announced that it will close its bar soap production plant of the brands Xtra, Unox, Rinso and Surf that was located in Comayagua, Honduras, and will move operations to the neighboring country. Unilever Central America announced in a statement that bar soaps will now be manufactured and marketed in Central America by the Guatemalan company Industria La Popular.
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Petroleum Oils: Purchases Exceed $5 BillionTuesday, November 19, 2019 Between January and June of this year, the value of imported petroleum oils in the region totaled $5.105 million, and 48% was bought by companies in Guatemala and Panama. Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"] Restaurants: New Competitor in Costa RicaTuesday, November 19, 2019 The U.S. restaurant chain Olive Garden plans to open its first restaurant in the country in July 2020, and for 2021 and 2022 it plans to open two more points of attention. The first location to be opened by the investment group AR Holdings, a member of Grupo Promerica, will be 450 square meters and will be in Escazu, and the estimated investment for this restaurant is $1.3 million. Qualified Bids to Build Metro Line 3Tuesday, November 19, 2019 The proposal of the HPH Joint Venture Consortium was the one with the best qualification in the tender for the design and construction of Line 3 of the Panama Metro, which will reach Ciudad del Futuro in Arraijan. The business conglomerate with a score of 893 points is composed of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. - POSCO - Hyundai Engineering Co. Ltd, official sources reported. Land Invasion: No Apparent SolutionTuesday, November 19, 2019 In Nicaragua, businessmen claim that since June last year, 28 properties in different parts of the country are still taken by groups of people related to the Ortega regime. According to the Union of Agricultural Producers of Nicaragua (Upanic), the 28 properties located in seven departments of the country, together represent 4,615 manzanas. Production Costs and the Future of InvestmentsTuesday, November 12, 2019 The high energy tariffs paid in Costa Rica compared to other countries in the region and the effects of the monopoly that exists in electricity generation are threats to the local economy and future investments. The alarms about production costs in the country went off weeks ago, after Vicesa, a company dedicated to the manufacture of glass products, announced in mid-October the dismissal of 254 employees working at the Cartago plant. The company reported that it made the decision because of the fall in sales and the slowdown of the local economy.
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Footwear: Business with Vietnam Still RisingMonday, November 18, 2019 Between January and June of this year, the region imported $304 million in footwear and footwear parts, and purchases from companies in Vietnam grew 13% over the same period in 2018. Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"] Palm Oil: Pessimism in HondurasMonday, November 18, 2019 Honduran palm growers do not see improvements in their business in the short term, since they foresee that during 2020 international oil prices will remain low. Some time ago, businessmen of the sector have been alerting of the crisis they are suffering, because in the first days of July of this year the National Federation of Associations of Oil Palm Producers and Extractors of Honduras (FENAPALMAH) and the Industrial Association of Palm Oil Producers of Honduras (AIPAH), declared themselves in national emergency. Toy Shops: Strategies in Difficult TimesMonday, November 4, 2019 In Costa Rica, some toy businesses have decided not to raise prices during 2019, ally with banks and make special offers in order to increase sales in a context of economic slowdown. According to reports from the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR), in the second quarter of the year, GDP grew 1.4% year-on-year, below the 3% reported in the same period in 2018, which is associated with the evolution of domestic demand and external demand for the production of companies of the definitive regime. Construction: New Investments in the RegionMonday, November 18, 2019 A multipurpose tower in El Salvador, a logistics park in Panama and a corporate center in Guatemala are part of the investments planned for the coming months in Central America. The interactive system "Construction in Central America", compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData, includes an up to date list of public and private construction projects that are planned to be built soon. More SEM Companies Arrive in PanamaThursday, November 7, 2019 So far this year, 17 new company licenses have been approved in the country under the Multinational Companies Headquarters regime, a figure that is higher than the 7 that were reported throughout 2018. In addition to the 17 companies that already obtained their licenses in 2019, there are 7 other companies that are in the phase of evaluation by the Commission of Headquarters of Multinational Enterprises of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MICI). Controversy in the Business Union ContinuesWednesday, October 30, 2019 In accordance with the decision taken by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the banana growers' union in Costa Rica decided to leave UCCAEP, after having been affiliated for more than 30 years. Last week, when it was reported that the trade and industry guilds had left, the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of the Private Business Sector (UCCAEP) called on them to reconsider their positions, but so far there is no sign of an improvement in relations. Digital Data and the Future of BusinessTuesday, November 5, 2019 In a context in which the creation of digital records is increasing, investment in data analysis, technology and personnel becomes fundamental and essential to ensure the best possible performance in companies. Advanced Analytics (AA), which can be executed from data from digital platforms, wireless sensors and millions of mobile phones, is transforming competition across multiple sectors by generating opportunities to capture value from improved decision making and comprehensive business transformation.
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Banana: Sales to the Netherlands grow at 36%Friday, November 15, 2019 In the first six months of 2019, Central American companies recorded $590 million in banana exports, and sales to the Netherlands grew 36% over the same period in 2018. Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"] Business Confidence Grows to 7%Tuesday, October 22, 2019 After registering a 6% year-on-year rise in August, in September the Confidence in Economic Activity Index in Guatemala showed a 7% variation. According to the last report of the Banco de Guatemala, an inflationary rhythm of 4.08% is forecast for September, of 4.22% for October and of 4.29% for November 2019. Regarding December 2019 and 2020, the Panel foresees an inflationary rhythm of 4.43% and 4.46%, in that order, reported the Central Bank of Guatemala. |
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Friday, December 13, 2019 - last update: 4:50 pm
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