Browse Honduras Daily Stories

Honduras's official dollar exchange rate climbed to L26.8368 (buy) and L26.9710 (sell) on August 20, continuing a week-long upward trend that has seen the lempira depreciate by roughly L0.009 since Monday.

Honduras received $6.52 billion in remittances in the first six months of 2026, a 12.3% increase from the same period in 2025, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Five staple foods rose in price this week at Tegucigalpa's Farmers Market—including red onions (L30/lb), cabbage (L40), and beef (L98/lb)—while broccoli, yellow onions, corn, and chayote squash fell.

Five vegetables in Tegucigalpa's Farmers Market accumulated L30 in price increases, and several beef cuts rose by up to four lempiras per pound this week, driven by extreme drought affecting crop and livestock production.

The European Union is requiring Honduran palm-oil producers to prove via geolocation tracking and environmental compliance that their crops come from non-deforested areas to maintain and expand access to European markets under new EU regulations taking effect later this year.

Honduras's Finance Ministry is releasing over 1.1 billion lempiras (about $44 million) in advance municipal transfers to 75 drought-affected towns to fund emergency food security and aid to families hit hardest by the extended dry season.

Honduras's Energy Ministry shifted the weekly fuel-price adjustment from 6 a.m. to 12:01 a.m. on Mondays to align with gas stations' weekend supply logistics, a change implemented 30 days ago but announced publicly this week.

Honduras's banking regulator (CNBS) announced an August supervisory examination of state agricultural bank Banadesa to review its loan portfolio, use of public funds, and operational controls, citing suspected irregularities in credits approved under previous administrations.

The Central Bank set the official exchange rate at 26.8141 lempiras per dollar for buying and 26.9482 for selling on Friday, a slight uptick that carries direct effects on import costs, consumer prices, and the value of remittances received by Honduran families.

Gasoline and diesel prices will increase on August 10, with diesel rising the most (L4.80 per gallon in Tegucigalpa), while the government continues to subsidize domestic cooking gas to cushion the impact on households.

Bean prices rose up to 10 lempiras per measure in Tegucigalpa this week, with nine vegetables and eggs also climbing, adding 52 to 82 lempiras to household food costs as the minimum wage covers only 90% of basic needs.

Honduras officially launched its 2026 national census, using digital mapping and geolocation to collect population and housing data that will guide public investment toward municipalities with the greatest needs.

Congress approved budget amendments requiring telecom operators to contribute 1% of monthly revenue to fund internet access in public schools, while also allowing the military's textile industry direct procurement and ordering ministries to purge duplicate payroll positions.

The US reclassified Honduras to a lower 10% tariff rate instead of 12.5% and granted product exemptions, recognizing a Honduran executive decree banning imports of goods made with forced labor.

Honduras sold a 10-year sovereign bond for $815.67 million at a 6.4% interest rate, securing funds for debt management and the national budget while locking in interest rates more than 2 percentage points lower than a 2024 issuance.

Restaurants and comedores in the capital are selling tortillas for up to L2 (about $0.08) per unit, double the regulated maximum price of L1, while tortilla factories say they sell to retailers at L0.67, leaving consumer-protection authorities to enforce compliance.

Family remittances to Honduras reached $6.59 billion in the first half of 2026, a 11.9% jump from the same period last year and above the Central Bank's projected 3.5% growth; if the trend holds, annual remittances may exceed $13.5 billion.

More than 261,000 Honduran children in child labor earn an average of L4,279 (about $172) monthly—three times less than the L14,917 minimum wage—with rural children and those aged 5–9 earning the least.

Honduras has spent only L15.8 billion (about $635 million) of a L46.8 billion public investment budget in the first seven months of 2026, with roads leading at 54.9% execution while energy, transport, health, and education sectors lag well below 20%.

Family remittances to Honduras reached $11.9 billion in 2025, benefiting 3.1 million recipients and representing 30% of GDP, though growth rates are slowing compared to 2024.

The Asfura administration has sent a letter of intent to IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva as the current three-year, $822 million program nears completion, though officials say no decision has been made yet on whether to pursue a new agreement.

Honduras exported 6.66 million bags of coffee worth $2.11 billion from October 2025 through July 1, 2026—a 23% jump in volume and 12% gain in revenue over the same period a year earlier, driven by larger harvests despite lower global prices.

Honduras's monthly trade deficit with China has surged to $256 million as of April 2026, with Chinese imports dominating the market while Honduran exports remain minimal, a deepening asymmetry since Honduras shifted diplomatic ties from Taiwan to mainland China in 2023.

Honduras is preparing an international tender for 1,500 megawatts of firm capacity using liquefied natural gas, aiming to diversify its energy matrix and add capacity needed to meet growing demand over the next decade.

Honduras's state power utility ENEE requires L35.4 billion (roughly $1.4 billion USD) in domestic debt from 2026 to 2029 to cover payments to private generators, amid losses exceeding 34% and a total debt burden now at L73.3 billion.

Honduras exported 29.4 million pounds of farmed shrimp worth $113.1 million in the first five months of 2026, up 10.5% in value from the same 2025 period, with 58% of exports being value-added processed product.

Honduras and the European Union signed a five-year, €6 million ($6.9 million) agreement to boost private-sector partnerships and sustainable investments, with aims to improve competitiveness, create jobs, and strengthen regulatory frameworks while emphasizing digital transformation and inclusion of women and youth.

Honduras received $4.13 billion in family remittances in the first four months of 2026, a 14.3% increase from the same period last year, as part of a $15.85 billion total across the Northern Triangle region.

The World Bank recommended splitting Honduras's state power utility ENEE into three separate units for generation, transmission, and distribution in 2007, but the government did not act; losses have since grown from 25% to 38% of revenue, and experts say the breakup is now urgent.

All major petroleum products will drop in price starting June 9, with kerosene falling 4.14 lempiras per gallon and regular gasoline declining 3.45 lempiras per gallon, as the Energy Ministry attributes the cuts to lower international oil prices following Middle East tensions.