Central America service exports resist with Nicaragua as a regional leader
By Guy José Bendaña-Guerrero & Asociados

The report highlights that following 25 months of uninterrupted contraction, "exports of goods from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are back on the path to growth". After shrinking by 3.3% in 2016, the year-on-year growth between January and June 2017 reached 13.2%. The largest recoveries were observed in Suriname (45.6%), Venezuela (41.5%), Bahamas (39.2%), Peru (28.2%), Colombia (20.4%), Brazil (19.3%), Belize (19.2%), Ecuador (18.9%) and Nicaragua (14.0%).
Nicaragua was also a main contributor to the resilience of service exports, which in 2016 grew 1.9% and reached a total of US$144.9 billion. Mesoamerica (extending from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica) accounted for 41% of LAC services exports in 2016. Although countries displayed a "relatively homogeneous performance", Nicaragua posted the higher growth rates with 18.8%, followed by Costa Rica (13.0%) and the Dominican Republic (10.0%).
“Latin America and the Caribbean needs a new generation of international integration policies. It is all about boosting competitiveness, regaining global share and make the most of the opportunities that come with disruptive technologies like e-commerce,” said Paolo Giordano, Principal Economist at the IDB’s Trade and Integration Sector and coordinator of the report.
