What types of goods are manufactured in Paraguay?

Paraguay is one of the least-industrialized countries in South America, with a manufacturing sector that is generally small-scale and primarily focused on processing agricultural goods.1

Key manufactured products include:

• Food and Beverages: Refined soybean oil, flour, sugar, tinned meat, alcohol, and beer.1
• Consumer Goods: Textiles, leather products, and cigarettes.1
• Industrial Materials: Cement and steel.1
• Energy Products: Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) produced from sugarcane.1

Historically, the construction and cement industries experienced significant growth during the late 1970s and early 1980s, largely driven by the development of the Itaipú Dam and other major hydroelectric projects. While the government previously operated state-owned steel and alcohol-distillation plants, many of these were sold during privatization programs in the 1990s.12