Johnson & Johnson, Handling a Major Crisis

Nicaragua also depends heavily on remittances from Nicaraguans living abroad. .
             Nicaragua is primarily an agricultural country, but construction, mining, fisheries, and general commerce also have been expanding during the last few years. Foreign private capital inflows topped $300 million in 1999 but, due to economic and political uncertainty, fell to less than $100 million in 2001. Rapid expansion of the tourist industry has made it the nation's third-largest source of foreign exchange. Some 60,000 Americans visit Nicaragua yearly - primarily business people, tourists, and those visiting relatives. An estimated 5,300 U.S. citizens reside in the country.
             Nicaragua now appears poised for rapid economic growth. However, long-term success at attracting investment, creating jobs, and reducing poverty depend on its ability to comply with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, resolving the thousands of Sandinista-era property confiscation cases, and opening its economy to foreign trade. .
             The United States is Nicaragua's largest trading partner by far--the source of 25% of its imports and the destination of about 60% of its exports. About 25 wholly or partly owned subsidiaries of U.S. companies operate in Nicaragua. The largest of those investments are in the energy, communications, manufacturing, fisheries, and shrimp farming sectors. Good opportunities exist for further investments in those same sectors, as well as in tourism, mining, franchising, and the distribution of imported consumer, manufacturing, and agricultural goods. .
             BEST PROSPECTS FOR NON-AGRICULTURAL GOODS AND SERVICES .
             Machinery: Machinery was again the top U.S. export category to Nicaragua in 2000. This year U.S. machinery exports grew by 9 percent versus 17.3 percent in 1999, from $58.04 million to $63.3 million. Nicaragua's total imports of capital goods increased by 1 percent ($380.1 million) versus 11 percent in 1999 ($373.