Browse Honduras Daily Stories

BAC Honduras and the OPEC Fund signed a $50 million financing agreement to expand credit access for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, with emphasis on women-led businesses and climate projects.

Honduran banks will close at noon on Wednesday, October 7, during Morazán Week celebrations; customers are advised to complete in-person transactions in advance but can use online banking, ATMs, and ACH transfers during the holiday.

Honduras has launched a shrimp-export initiative with China that aims to send over 100 shipping containers by year-end, projected to generate more than 350 million lempiras (about $14 million) in foreign exchange while establishing a consistent supply to the Chinese market.

COHEP is hosting a virtual briefing on September 30 about the European Union's new regulation banning imports of goods made with forced labor, aimed at helping Honduran exporters comply with the requirement.

Honduras's taxi association ruled out raising fares despite higher fuel costs, instead negotiating with the government for compensatory bonuses and vehicle-gas subsidies to offset operating expenses amid competition from ride-hailing apps and illegal services.

The RAP retirement fund has launched a digital loyalty program allowing its 400,000+ members to access direct discounts at participating merchants by displaying a mobile QR code, now in pilot testing with selected businesses.

More than 100 Honduran shoe-manufacturing workshops risk closure due to a 5–10% rise in raw-material costs linked partly to power blackouts and rationing, threatening over 400 jobs, the industry association warned.

Honduras's National Port Authority reported 1.3 billion lempiras (about $52 million) in revenue through mid-2026, a 20% increase from the prior period, and projects year-end receipts will exceed 2 billion lempiras with investments exceeding 400 million lempiras.

BAC Honduras and the OPEC Fund for International Development signed a $50 million financing agreement to expand credit access for small and medium-sized businesses, including women-led firms, and support climate-related investments in Honduras.

Five Honduran banks—Atlántida, BAC, Ficohsa, Banco de Occidente, and Banpaís—control 84.7% of the 5.75 million debit cards in circulation as of July 2026, with debit cards becoming the dominant payment method nationwide.

A former ENEE manager estimates the state utility's planned split into generation, transmission, and distribution subsidiaries would require up to 30 months to implement and roughly eight years to reduce electrical losses to 15%.

Lawmakers introduced a bill to create Procafín, a nonprofit financing mechanism that would negotiate lower-interest loans for coffee farmers and reduce reliance on informal lending, funded by a per-sack export contribution.

Honduras is adopting artificial intelligence in industry but remains behind regional peers due to gaps in infrastructure and advanced skills, with companies using AI mainly for automation of physical tasks rather than complex model development.

Honduras's banks will close their branches on September 15 for Independence Day, but customers can conduct transactions through digital channels and alternative services, the banking association said.

Heavy-transport operators plan to meet with government officials on September 11 to demand updated freight rates and relief from rising fuel costs, warning they will halt cargo and fuel deliveries nationwide if demands are not met.

About 100 formal restaurants have closed in Honduras through 2026 as economic contraction cuts consumer visits and rising utility costs, water shortages, and operational expenses squeeze the sector, says the president of the Honduran Gastronomy Association.

Banking regulator CNBS Commissioner Nicolás García warns that scammers prey on victims by creating artificial urgency and promising unrealistic returns, urging consumers to verify CNBS authorization and never share banking credentials.

The U.S. State Department said it welcomes Honduras's passage of the Energy Justice Law, noting that American companies are interested in investing in the country's energy sector to improve reliability and create jobs.

Honduras's consumer protection director clarified that providers are legally required to give consumers clear, accurate, and complete information about products and services, and that false or misleading claims — including unsubstantiated health benefits or hidden charges — violate the consumer protection law.

Freight-transport leaders say they will stage protests if authorities do not address rising diesel costs, citing operating losses and a lack of government response to their requests for a 12-cent-per-gallon fuel subsidy and enforcement of an April price adjustment.

COHEP confirmed that September 15, 2026, will be a fixed national holiday for Honduras's Independence Day, and Morazán Week will run October 7–9 for public employees and October 7–10 (with half-days at start and end) for private-sector workers, with differences reflecting each sector's labor rules.

Hundreds of Hondurans report being unable to access deposits in HLV, a digital fund-raising platform that went offline; customers in Copán, Olancho, and Santa Bárbara are occupying offices demanding answers, while company representatives deny a permanent closure and blame a purported cyberattack.

Fernando García, president of the National Association of Industrialists (ANDI), says Honduras should reopen commercial relations with Taiwan, arguing that promised cooperation from mainland China has not materialized.

The Economic Development Ministry has digitized eight administrative processes to reduce processing times, costs, and bureaucracy, including temporary import regime registration, consumer complaints, and cement-trader licensing.

Honduras's maquiladora industry is launching a strategy to attract foreign investment and open new industrial parks, banking on tariff relief for Central American textiles to US markets and a joint effort with government to improve the country's investor perception.

Cuarterías, Honduras's traditional shared-housing model, are being subdivided into private rooms with individual bathrooms, Wi-Fi, and utilities at rents double or triple those of unremodeled units, reshaping urban rental markets in major cities.

Honduras's insurance market is growing steadily, driven by life, auto, fire, and health coverage that account for over 80% of premiums, attracting reinsurers and expanding economic protection for families.

Honduras will rejoin the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (CIADI), a World Bank affiliate, on August 16 after nearly two years of withdrawal, seeking to strengthen investor confidence and legal certainty.

Honduras's tourism industry chamber says the part-time employment law approved by Congress in March has proven unworkable in practice, citing difficulty guaranteeing fixed hours or event-based contracts that the law requires, and is asking lawmakers to revise or reconsider its provisions.

Officials met with African palm producers and industrialists to address environmental compliance, labor standards, and EU market access, with sector leaders reporting satisfaction with the government's support for expanding international sales.