Honduras Small-Business Group Alleges Tax Exemptions for Chinese Firms
BUSINESS · HONDURAS
Key Facts
- —The country Honduras, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 2023. Shops run by Chinese owners are now more visible in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.
- —What happened On Friday 2 October, small-business leader Victorino Carranza said Chinese firms pay no import, sales, income or services taxes, El Mundo reported.
- —Who is involved Gremipe, the guild of micro and small businesses, and Congress, which on 26 May voted 81 of 117 deputies present to supervise Chinese-owned shops.
- —What it means for you Retailers and importers may see tighter tax and customs checks. Investors should treat the claim as unproven until the tax authority reports.
- —Still open No documents were shown, and no official count of Chinese-owned shops exists. Results of the May congressional review have not been published.
A Honduran small-business leader has accused Chinese firms of operating without paying the main national taxes. Victorino Carranza, president of the micro and small business guild Gremipe, made the claim on a television forum on Friday 2 October.
The Tegucigalpa daily El Mundo reported his remarks the same day, noting that no tax documents were presented. Once Noticias, whose Canal 11 forum hosted the debate, said Carranza raised doubts about tax compliance by some Chinese shops.
What the small-business guild alleges
“We are fully certain that our Chinese brothers are not paying taxes on imports, sales tax, income tax or taxes on services,” Carranza said. He spoke of businesspeople from China who have set up in Honduras, not of a named company.
He did not say which law or decree would grant such exemptions. He also did not say whether the gap comes from formal tax breaks or from weak enforcement.
Carranza framed the issue as one of fair competition rather than of nationality. Honduran micro and small firms pay their taxes, he argued, and still struggle to obtain cheap credit.
“We are not being treated as we deserve,” he said. His demand is for equal conditions inside the Honduran market.
Congress already ordered a review in May
The question is not new in Tegucigalpa. On 26 May, the National Congress approved a motion to supervise shops of Chinese origin, with 81 votes from 117 deputies present.
The motion, tabled by deputy Mario Pérez, covers tax payments, the legality and origin of imports and the migration status of staff. It also asks about possible movements of foreign currency.
That review gives the state a channel to test the claim. The tax collector, the Revenue Administration Service (SAR), holds the records that could confirm or rule out any exemptions.
El Mundo said there is still no official figure for how many Chinese-owned businesses operate in Honduras. Their presence has grown most visibly in the two largest cities.
Why the dispute matters beyond shopkeepers
Honduras broke with Taiwan and opened relations with Beijing in 2023. See: In a historic move, Honduras inaugurates its Embassy in China after severing ties with Taiwan.
The retail complaint now tests that relationship at street level. It also reaches beyond the shop counter to customs and tax policy.
The complaint lands on two fronts for President Nasry Asfura (Who Is Nasry Asfura, the President of Honduras in 2026). It touches tax collection and the relationship with Beijing.
On the same forum, Alejandro Young of the Chinese chamber of commerce and industry defended free competition. “Why be afraid of competition?” he asked, according to Once Noticias.
There is a stabilising side as well. The guild asks for equal rules, not closures, and an audit can settle the facts without new legislation.
What Is Not Yet Known
It is not known whether any Chinese firms in Honduras hold a formal tax exemption, or whether Carranza’s claim rests on observation. The allegation has not been independently confirmed.
Neither report of 2 October carried a response from the SAR or from the Chinese embassy. Findings from the review approved on 26 May have also not been made public.
Sources: El Mundo (Honduras), “Gremipe denuncia supuestas exoneraciones a empresas chinas y reclama competencia en igualdad de condiciones”, 2 October 2026; Once Noticias, “¿Negocios chinos vrs. hondureños? Comercio del gigante asiático gana terreno en Honduras”, 2 October 2026; remarks by Gremipe president Victorino Carranza on a television forum, 2 October 2026, as reported by El Mundo and Once Noticias.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
LatAm Markets: Live Signals → — real-time movers, turnover leaders and FX across Latin America.