China and Honduras have seen significant progress in exchanges and bilateral cooperation since the countries established bilateral diplomatic relations two years ago, according to Honduran officials at the forefront of the partnership.
On March 26, 2023, the two countries signed a joint communique in Beijing on the establishment of diplomatic relations. Honduras has thus become the 182nd country to open formal ties with China.
Salvador Moncada, Honduran ambassador to China, noted that Honduras has seen a boost in technological development in the time since ties were established, while its coffee exports have also benefited.
"[An important thing is] the development of new technologies. This obviously includes artificial intelligence, in which China has recently demonstrated its highly sophisticated systems that are able to compete with systems produced anywhere else in the world. Also, exports from Honduras to China have increased very rapidly. They have practically tripled in the last year and a half. And we are starting to see great success in our sales of coffee to China. We recently signed a pre-agreement to export 10,000 tons of Honduran coffee to China in 2025," he said.
Eduardo Enrique Reina, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Honduras, highlighted the rapid development of the collaborations in a short time.
"I think our relationship is on the right and stable track. I believe that increasing cultural exchange, trade and cooperation between the two sides will deepen a relationship that has advanced positively over two short years. Really, a lot has been done and is still being done in this very short time," he said.
China-Honduras cooperation sees significant progress in two years of diplomatic ties: officials
China-Honduras cooperation sees significant progress in two years of diplomatic ties: officials
Los Angeles is grappling with rising costs and delays in its wildfire recovery process, as tariffs on construction materials imposed during the Trump administration compound the challenges.
The devastating wildfires recently destroyed over 17,000 homes and businesses, leaving communities urgently pushing forward with reconstruction.
The Trump administration has recently rolled out new tariffs on a wide range of construction materials, including steel and aluminum, from the main trading partners of the United States, such as Canada, Mexico, and China. This has significantly driven up costs, further complicating the recovery efforts
"As the city and county of Los Angeles move aggressively to rebuild the wildfire areas in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and up in Altadena, to build those houses, we need softwood lumber, aluminum, and steel from Canada," said Gene Soroka, executive director of Port of Los Angeles.
While the tariffs aim to boost domestic production, the transition will take time. In the interim, the shortage of materials is creating ripple effects across the construction sector.
"We are still handling a lot of imported steel, despite the tariffs because there's not enough American manufacturing of steel right now. So, one of the unintended consequences that this has done the wrong way is you don't have enough steel. That impacts construction, that impacts economic growth across the board," said Weston Labar, chief strategy office of Waterfront Logistics.
According to the Associated General Contractors of America, housing costs could skyrocket by almost 50 percent, widening the gap between insurance payouts and actual rebuilding expenses. It may force many homeowners to delay or even abandon their reconstruction plans, prolonging the housing shortage in Los Angeles.
Tariffs are also driving up prices for other products, impacting recovery efforts.
"We need appliances from Mexico, furniture from China, and all of those prices are going up, whether anticipatory, or real as these imports are coming across our port complex. So, we've got to have some pretty detailed discussions about this because families who want to rebuild, businesses who want to get back into the office are going to be impacted by these tariffs one way or another," said Soroka.
As Los Angeles strives to recover, the economic uncertainty caused by tariffs presents a formidable obstacle.
Tariffs add strain to Los Angeles wildfire recovery efforts
