españolIMF: Costa Rican Economy Still UnderdevelopedTuesday, February 25, 2020 "Growth remains susceptible to adverse shocks to global growth, economic and socio-political stress in Nicaragua, the continued weakness in consumer and business confidence, and uncertainty regarding the implementation of the fiscal reform.” After the slowdown in growth between 2017 and early 2019, the economy has recovered since mid-2019, as a result of a rebound in services, agriculture and manufacturing, which produced an estimated 2.1% growth in 2019, reported the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Franchising: Challenges and ExpectationsTuesday, February 25, 2020 Recruiting the best staff to operate the points of sale and reducing the costs of the initial investments to set up a franchise are some of the challenges faced by franchisers, who expect better sales in 2020. Access to financing, containment of operating costs, and maintaining profitability levels are other issues of concern to franchisors in Guatemala. Pet Market in PanamaTuesday, February 25, 2020 Some pet service providers claim that their sales have been sustained, while others report that their income is beginning to recover after overcoming a period of economic slowdown. In recent years the Panamanian economy recorded a slowdown, since in 2018 the Gross Domestic Product of the country reported a 3.7% year-on-year growth, far from the increases of 11.3% and 9.8% reported in 2011 and 2012, respectively. IMF: Panamanian Economy to Recover by 2020Thursday, February 20, 2020 For the international organization, after the economic slowdown in 2018-2019, the economy is expected to recover in 2020 and will continue to be among the most dynamic in Latin America. In the medium term, growth is expected to stabilize at its potential annual rate of 5% and inflation is also expected to rise to 1% in 2020, reported the International Monetary Fund after its last visit to the country. Costa Rica: Economic Activity Up 2.8% in 2019Wednesday, February 12, 2020 As of December 2019, IMAE recorded a 2.8% increase, partly due to the performance of the manufacturing and service sectors. This result places the average annual growth in production at 1.9%, lower than the previous year's (2.6%), which, as the Central Bank has pointed out, reflects the economic slowdown experienced by the country since April 2016 and which reached its lowest point in May 2019, a situation caused by a combination of circumstances (uncertainty associated with the fiscal situation, external shocks to trade flows and adverse weather conditions), the official report explains. Economic Activity Up 3% in 2019Tuesday, February 11, 2020 At the end of 2019, economic activity in Guatemala grew 3%, behavior that was explained in part by the performance of the commercial and construction sectors. From the Bank of Guatemala report: Vehicle Sales: What are the New Challenges?Friday, February 21, 2020 Because the transportation services provided by platforms like Uber cause people to increasingly question whether or not they need to buy a vehicle, vehicle dealers must face new challenges to keep up with sales. In Panama, official figures show that according to the reported decrease in new vehicle sales in 2017 and 2018, during 2019 the negative trend continued, as 47,866 units were registered, 6% less than the previous year. Economic Outlook Improves at the Beginning of 2020Tuesday, February 11, 2020 During January in Honduras, the Economic Activity Confidence Index registered a slight increase of 9% compared to what was reported at the end of 2019. Informants said that the main factors that could influence the behavior of inflation during 2020 are: the increase in fuel prices and its impact on electricity rates, as well as price increases in some food and certain raw materials, explains a report by the Central Bank of Honduras. El Salvador: What Businesses Operate in Santa Tecla?Tuesday, February 25, 2020 Almost 30% of the commercial establishments operating in Santa Tecla are restaurants, hotels, offices, schools and shopping centers. An analysis of the commercial establishments in El Salvador, carried out by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData shows interesting results about the characteristics of the companies operating in Santa Tecla, a municipality in the department of La Libertad, according to their location and type of activity. Guatemala: Leading Rate Begins 2020 at 2.75%Friday, February 21, 2020 Arguing that the main economic indicators show a stable behavior, the Central Bank decided at the beginning of the year to maintain the level of the leading interest rate of the monetary policy at 2.75%. Retail: Two Sides of the Coin in the RegionWednesday, February 19, 2020 During the fourth quarter of 2019, Walmart's sales increased year-on-year in all countries in the region, except in Costa Rica, where they fell because of the lower dynamism of local economic activity. The signs of recovery reported in the Costa Rican economy in the second half of 2019 do not seem to have been enough to boost retail trade, as one of the largest supermarket chains is registering a drop in sales. Guatemala: Businessmen Start 2020 with OptimismThursday, January 30, 2020 In January, the Economic Activity Confidence Index registered a 39% increase compared to the same month in 2019, reinforcing the upward trend that has been reported since July 2019. An inflationary rhythm of 3.72% is forecast for January, 3.71% for February and 3.84% for March 2020. Steel in Honduras: Opposition to ProtectionismMonday, February 24, 2020 In response to the authorities' consultation on the request for a safeguard measure on the import of steel products, the builders are opposed on the grounds that this would make materials more expensive, in addition to making their production inefficient. This is not the first time that builders are against this issue, since in November 2019, directors of the Honduran Chamber of the Construction Industry (Chico), requested the government to eliminate the safeguards on imports of steel-based products, since they claim that these measures promote monopolistic practices. Economic Activity Grows at 3.6% in PanamaTuesday, January 21, 2020 During November 2019, the Monthly Index of Economic Activity reported a 3.6% year-on-year change, which was largely determined by commercial activities and financial intermediation. Among the categories of economic activity showing positive behavior were: commerce, transportation, storage and communications, public administration, financial intermediation, agriculture, electricity and water, mining and quarrying, and domestic services, reported the General Comptroller of the Republic. Unclear Future for the Commercial SectorThursday, February 13, 2020 In Costa Rica, businessmen in the sector do not clearly see what the economic direction of the country will be, since the levels of unemployment and informality in small and medium enterprises are still rising. The proportion of unemployed people in the country closed 2019 upwards, as between the third and fourth quarters of 2019 the open unemployment rate rose from 11.4% to 12.4%, an increase that can be explained partly by the rise in women's unemployment. |
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Thursday, February 27, 2020 - last update: 2:53 pm
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