Honduran shrimp industry on alert after break with Taiwan and low prices in China

Tegucigalpa, Aug 24 (EFE).- The Honduran shrimp industry is facing a "crisis" following the diplomatic rupture with Taiwan, with losses of around 43 million dollars, generating fear and uncertainty among exporters due to low purchase prices in China, the executive director of the National Association of Aquaculturists of Honduras (Andah), Javier Amador, told EFE.

CAMERAS: DANIEL ESPINOZA

STATEMENTS BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AQUACULTURERS OF HONDURAS (ANDAH), JAVIER AMADOR:

We changed a market, an important destination for us, the first export destination, which generated an impressive amount of foreign currency and the trade industry, of course, has hit us very hard, because we have to pay a 20% tariff for our shrimp to enter Taiwan.

(The rupture of relations with Taiwan) It was not the right time, it was not at that moment. We should have waited, this is what we are doing, we have been in the process with the Chinese for a year now, delegations have come, traders have come and they have come to see if they like our shrimp, but they do not want to pay for it.

There are factors such as employment, companies, and foreign currency generation that may be affected. At this moment we are paying a bill that we should not have paid and I am not complaining, but I have to say it. Policies in a permanent way and that indicate to me numbers: they are cold. 43 million dollars lost in 7 months is a lot of money; 6000 direct jobs lost is a lot of people with lost jobs. To recover those jobs... yes we are going to recover them. Are we going to recover that money? We are not going to recover it, the jobs are going to be recovered, but the money is lost and the calamity that has happened... those people are never going to recover.