Honduras Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in honduras, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Market Entry Strategy
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Two Regions

For marketing purposes, Honduras can be divided into two regions: The Northern Coast, including the country’s commercial and industrial center, San Pedro Sula; and the Central region, where the political capital and largest city, Tegucigalpa, is located. Both are major distribution centers for imported goods. A single distributor or representative is usually sufficient to cover all of Honduras. Within the context of the Central America region, consumer tastes, marketing, and distribution channels are very similar.

Starting a Business

Having a local presence by appointing a local agent, representative, or legal advisor is strongly recommended to help with import procedures, sales promotion, after-sales service, and becoming familiar with the Honduran market in general.  Independent intermediaries are especially important for smaller companies, as their knowledge of the market and of the relevant business customs and practices adds strong value for the U.S. manufacturer/exporter. U.S. companies are advised to evaluate local prospects in terms of the services and benefits provided, considering factors such as location, financial strength, quality of the sales force, warehousing facilities, reputation in the market, product compatibility and overall experience.

Price and Credit

Price is among the most important selling factors in Honduras. In many cases, Honduran businesses buy directly from the source if they feel that the cost savings are sufficiently advantageous. The local banking system is traditionally conservative and generally extends only limited amounts of credit, though expansionary monetary policies and increased competition from regional and international banks have led to improved overall consumer credit access. U.S. exporters that properly use and offer attractive trade terms for Honduran importers have the best chance of gaining market share and enhancing buyer-seller relationships.

Testing the Market

When entering the Honduran market, U.S. firms should always seek legal advisers with specific expertise in local trade law and take advantage of the help offered through different organizations supporting trade, such as chambers of commerce and industry associations. U.S. firms should also consider testing the market by participating in local events, trade missions, and other exploratory visits.

Due Diligence

Prior to engaging in a commercial relationship, U.S. companies should conduct corporate and regulatory due diligence, as well as visit potential partners or agents in Honduras to get a sense of the overall business environment.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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