Location

Located in the center of Central America, Honduras enjoys proximity to the U.S. market. It is only a 2–3 hour flight from U.S. gateway cities and 48 to 72 hours away by sea. Honduras also serves as a distribution platform for the rest of Central America thanks to its deep-water port and geostrategic location.  Puerto Cortés, the largest deep-water port in the region, was the first port in Latin America to qualify under both the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Megaports and U.S. Customs & Border Protection Container Security Initiatives (CSI).

General Infrastructure

With the vision of creating a logistics hub for the Central America region, Honduras is improving productive infrastructure development and modernization, including roads, ports, and airports. The new Palmerola International Airport (XPL), which began operations in late 2021, replaced Toncontin International Airport (TGU) for international service to Tegucigalpa. Located 70 km from the capital, the new airport will not have many of the operational restrictions that TGU faced, such as the size of aircraft that can operate there or the hours of service.

Commercial Environment

Consumer tastes in Honduras lean towards U.S. products and standards. English is widely spoken in business circles. Dominance of U.S. media through cable and network television strengthens the country’s preference for U.S. consumer products and culture.

Primary Export Sectors

Leading U.S. export categories to Honduras in 2022 included: petroleum products ($2 billion); textiles and fabrics ($1.5 billion); processed foods ($639 million); other special classification provisions (including chemicals, computers and electronics, electrical equipment, and machinery; plastics and related articles, among others $570 million); and agricultural products ($564 million). CAFTA-DR’s Rules of Origin promote the use of U.S. fiber, yarn, and fabrics.

Best Prospect Sectors

Honduras is a relatively small country with a large market share for U.S. products and services. Among the most active sectors for U.S. companies include information and communications technologies; healthcare and medical devices; safety and security equipment; environmental technologies; automotive aftermarket; and agricultural products.