
The 6 biggest import products from Honduras by value are refined petroleum oils, cotton yarn, medication mixes in dosage, non-retail yarn of synthetic staple fibers, insulated wire or cable, and phone system devices including smartphones. Combined, that sextet of most valuable imports accounted for over one-fifth (22%) of overall Honduran products imported during 2020.
From a continental perspective and based on 2019 data, 44.7% of total Honduran imports by value were purchased from North American countries. Trade partners in Asia supplied 24.5% of import purchases from the Honduras while another 22.6% worth of goods originated from providers in Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
Smaller percentage came from Europe (8%), Africa (0.12%) and Oceania (0.05%) led by New Zealand and Australia.
Given the Honduran population of 9.9 million people, its total $10 billion in 2020 imports translates to roughly $1,000 in yearly product demand from every person in the Central American country.
Honduras Top 10 Imports
Top 10
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Honduras import purchases during 2020. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Honduras.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$949.7 million (9.5% of total imports)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $819.5 million (8.2%)
- Machinery including computers: $605 million (6%)
- Cotton: $545 million (5.4%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $517.2 million (5.2%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $449.9 million (4.5%)
- Vehicles: $359.8 million (3.6%)
- Manmade staple fibers: $357.4 million (3.6%)
- Iron, steel: $315 million (3.1%)
- Paper, paper items: $293.4 million (2.9%)
Honduras’ top 10 imports generated nearly three-fifths (57.8%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Purchases of cotton by Honduran importers demonstrated the fastest-growth in value among the top 10 import categories, up by 5,041% from 2019 to 2020. In second place for expanding imports into the Honduras were manmade staple fibers thanks to a 3,656% increase. Honduran imports of plastics, including both materials and articles made from plastic, delivered the third-fastest gain up 27% year over year.
The severest annual decline among the top categories were imported vehicles via a -45.2% drop.
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Information presented under the adjacent virtual folder tabs is at the more granular 4-digit level.
Fuel
Honduran importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$758.5 million (down -51.3% from 2019)
- Petroleum gases: $129.7 million (up 305.7%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $29.8 million (down -8.7%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $15.4 million (up 651.4%)
- Electrical energy: $14.1 million (2019 data unavailable)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $869,000 (down -30.9%)
- Peat: $350,000 (down -63.4%)
- Asphalt/petroleum bitumen mixes: $181,000 (down -77.3%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $167,000 (down -25.8%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $19,000 (down -5%)
Among these import subcategories, Honduras’ purchases of coal including solid fuels made from coal (up 651.4%) and petroleum gases (up 305.7%) grew from 2019 to 2020.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported fossil fuel-related products among Honduran businesses and consumers.
Electronics
Honduran importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronic equipment including smartphones.
- Insulated wire/cable: US$188.2 million (up 183.4% from 2019)
- Phone system devices including smartphones: $183.8 million (down -25.3%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $141 million (up 480.3%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $44.6 million (down -49.9%)
- Electric circuit parts, fuses, switches: $29.4 million (up 312%)
- Electric storage batteries: $28.9 million (down -11.6%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $25.1 million (down -47.8%)
- Unrecorded sound media: $23.9 million (down -7.4%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $15.1 million (down -45.6%)
- Filament/discharge lamps: $13.3 million (down -16.3%)
Among these import subcategories, Honduras’ purchases of lower-voltage switches or fuses (up 480.3%), electric circuit parts, fuses or switches (up 312%) then insulated wire or cable (up 183.4%) grew from 2019 to 2020.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electronics among Honduran businesses and consumers.
Machinery
Honduran importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machines including computers.
- Computers, optical readers: US$60.5 million (down -7.9% from 2019)
- Refrigerators, freezers: $38.4 million (down -42%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $35.7 million (up 166%)
- Yarn wash/clean/iron machines: $30.1 million (up 2,139%)
- Air conditioners: $26 million (down -20.7%)
- Sewing machines, related furniture: $25.3 million (up 1,698%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $22.7 million (down -23.6%)
- Printing machinery: $21.9 million (down -22.3%)
- Piston engine parts: $21.4 million (down -30.8%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $19.7 million (down -38.5%)
Among these import subcategories, Honduras’ purchases of yarn washing, cleaning or ironing machines (up 2,139%), sewing machines including related furniture (up 1,698%) then miscellaneous machinery (up 166%) grew from 2019 to 2020.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Honduran businesses and consumers.
Cotton
Honduran importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of cotton-related products.
- Yarn (85%+ cotton): US$435.2 million (up 202,333% from 2019)
- Yarn (under 85% cotton): $46.6 million (up 10,820%)
- Cotton (uncarded, uncombed): $18.8 million (up 125,173%)
- Woven fabrics (85%+ cotton): $17.5 million (up 232%)
- Cotton (carded, combed): $4 million (up 23,259%)
- Woven fabrics (mixed): $3.6 million (up 105.2%)
- Woven cotton fabrics: $2.9 million (up 288.5%)
- Cotton waste: $1.7 million (up 43,225%)
- Woven fabrics (under 85% cotton): $1.7 million (down -14%)
- Yarn (not sewing thread) for retail sale: $1.2 million (up 5,381%)
Among these import subcategories, Honduras’ purchases of yarn made from at least 85% cotton (up 202,333%), uncombed cotton (up 125,173) then cotton waste (up 43,225%) grew at the fastest pace from 2019 to 2020.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among Honduran businesses and consumers.
See also Honduras Top 10 Exports, Crude Oil Imports by Country and Bananas Imports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on October 24, 2021
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on October 24, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 24, 2021