* The Central American federation of chambers of commerce (Fecamco) has released a new survey indicating that 71% of Central American business have suffered losses averaging US$415,000 as a result of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. According to the survey, 58% of firms polled said that they had had to lay off or suspend staff, while 51% said that they had taken on additional financial commitments. Of those surveyed, 44% said that they had had to use e-commerce to trade, up from 32% prior to the pandemic. More generally, 55% of firms said that they were operating normally, up from 25% in the last Fecamco survey in July 2020. Fecamco comprises the six chambers of commerce in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, representing some 20,000 companies, of which 70% are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
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