The measure is part of a U.S.-backed policy of containment toward China.

At the end of May, the Honduran Congress approved a bill to tighten oversight of Chinese-owned businesses, a measure championed by Congressman Mario Perez of the conservative National Party and supported by the right-wing government of Nasry Asfura.

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The proposal mandates immediate audits of the legality of Chinese businesses, their tax payments, the origin of their imports, the immigration status of their staff, and potential capital flight.

Perez clarified that he is not opposed to China, but “lamented” that after more than three years of diplomatic relations, the visible result is the proliferation of retail businesses instead of industrial investments that would generate employment.

The flow of migrants from China to Honduras has increased significantly: from 403 people in 2020 to more than 5,000 in 2025, according to official figures.

The text reads, “Trade between Honduras and China continues to grow strongly in 2026! According to data from China’s Customs, by April 2026, Honduran exports to the Chinese market reached US$15.8 million, representing a year-over-year growth of 67.4%.”

Anabel Gallardo, president of the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP), supported the oversight measures. However, she requested that they be applied equitably to all economic actors and warned about the persistence of informality.

Meanwhile, Jose Castañeda, president of the Honduran Federation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (FEMISE), called the regulation “laughable” and pointed out that SMEs cannot compete with Chinese production capacity.

He emphasized that SMEs generate 76% of employment in Honduras but contribute only 34% to GDP, and that the priority should be boosting food production and long-term development strategies.

The measure is part of a policy of containment toward China, in line with the Asfura administration’s alignment with Washington and the open support of U.S. President Donald Trump, who is pushing to limit Chinese influence in Latin America.

Although the bilateral relationship with China was established in March 2023, the new right-wing government sought to balance trade openness with stricter control of the Chinese presence in the country.

teleSUR: JP

Source: EFE

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