TradeVedia
Global Trade Visual Encyclopedia

El Salvador (SLV)

Annual exports and imports in 2024 (USD).

Source: UN Comtrade. Warehouse 1: partner = World totals by HS4 and year.

Exports
$6.45B
Imports
$15.97B
Total trade
$22.42B
Trade balance
-$9.53B
Loading partners sankey...
Loading composition sunburst...

El Salvador - trade dependency by partner, 2024 (USD)

Share of exports, imports, and total trade attributed to each partner.
Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Showing top 10 partners by total dependency.
Rank #1
USA (USA)
Total
29.4%
Exports
33.6%
$2.16B
Imports
27.7%
$4.43B
Total
29.4%
$6.60B
Rank #2
Guatemala (GTM)
Total
12.7%
Exports
20.2%
$1.30B
Imports
9.7%
$1.54B
Total
12.7%
$2.84B
Rank #3
China (CHN)
Total
12.4%
Exports
0.8%
$52.82M
Imports
17.1%
$2.73B
Total
12.4%
$2.78B
Rank #4
Honduras (HND)
Total
8.0%
Exports
16.2%
$1.04B
Imports
4.7%
$746.47M
Total
8.0%
$1.79B
Rank #5
Mexico (MEX)
Total
7.1%
Exports
3.9%
$248.93M
Imports
8.4%
$1.34B
Total
7.1%
$1.59B
Rank #6
Nicaragua (NIC)
Total
4.8%
Exports
9.0%
$581.21M
Imports
3.1%
$493.44M
Total
4.8%
$1.07B
Rank #7
Costa Rica (CRI)
Total
3.4%
Exports
4.8%
$310.22M
Imports
2.8%
$444.67M
Total
3.4%
$754.89M
Rank #8
Rep. of Korea (KOR)
Total
1.5%
Exports
0.7%
$43.95M
Imports
1.9%
$300.06M
Total
1.5%
$344.02M
Rank #9
Brazil (BRA)
Total
1.3%
Exports
0.0%
$0
Imports
1.8%
$284.24M
Total
1.3%
$284.24M
Rank #10
Japan (JPN)
Total
1.3%
Exports
0.0%
$0
Imports
1.8%
$283.26M
Total
1.3%
$283.26M
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
  • In 2024, El Salvador conducted a total trade of $22.4B, which included $6.4B in exports and $16.0B in imports.
  • The country registered a trade balance of -$9.5B in 2024.
  • The United States was El Salvador's top export destination, receiving goods valued at $2.2B, which represents 33.6% of total exports.
  • On the import side, the United States was also the largest partner, supplying $4.4B worth of goods, accounting for 27.7% of total imports.
  • The most significant export category for El Salvador was 'Apparel and clothing accessories; knitted or crocheted' (HS2 61), valued at $1.6B.
  • The top import category was 'Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation' (HS2 27), with an import value of $2.4B.

El Salvador's Trade Landscape in 2024

In 2024, El Salvador's international trade activity ranked 84th globally, with total trade amounting to $22.4B. Exports reached $6.4B, while imports were $16.0B, creating a trade deficit of -$9.5B. The country's primary trading partners include the United States, Guatemala, and China.

See also: United StatesGuatemalaChina

Primary Traded Goods

El Salvador's export profile is dominated by 'Apparel and clothing accessories; knitted or crocheted' (HS2 61), which constituted 24.1% of its total exports with a value of $1.6B. The second-largest export category was 'Plastics and articles thereof' (HS2 39), valued at $549.3M. In terms of imports, 'Mineral fuels and oils' (HS2 27) were the most prominent, accounting for 14.8% of all imports at a value of $2.4B. This was followed by 'Electrical machinery and equipment' (HS2 85), with imports totaling $1.2B.

See also: Apparel and clothing accessories; knitted or crocheted (HS2 61)Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes (HS2 27)Plastics and articles thereof (HS2 39)

Exports

El Salvador - exports over time (Exports), 2015-2024 (USD)

Annual reported export values across available years.
Flow: Exports | Years: 2015-2024 | Unit: USD | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade

Top export categories

Largest HS2 categories by export value in the selected year.

#1 • HS 61
Apparel and clothing accessories; knitted or crocheted
$1.55B
24.1% share
#2 • HS 39
Plastics and articles thereof
$549.28M
8.5% share
#3 • HS 85
Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers; television image and sound recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories of such articles
$367.32M
5.7% share
#4 • HS 48
Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or paperboard
$366.44M
5.7% share
#5 • HS 17
Sugars and sugar confectionery
$326.06M
5.1% share
#6 • HS 27
Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes
$322.45M
5.0% share
#7 • HS 19
Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastrycooks' products
$226.69M
3.5% share
#8 • HS 30
Pharmaceutical products
$182.22M
2.8% share
#9 • HS 72
Iron and steel
$179.84M
2.8% share
#10 • HS 22
Beverages, spirits and vinegar
$176.80M
2.7% share
#11 • HS 21
Miscellaneous edible preparations
$145.36M
2.3% share
#12 • HS 09
Coffee, tea, mate and spices
$138.91M
2.2% share
#13 • HS 60
Fabrics; knitted or crocheted
$134.71M
2.1% share
#14 • HS 16
Meat, fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates, or insects; preparations thereof
$110.09M
1.7% share
#15 • HS 62
Apparel and clothing accessories; not knitted or crocheted
$109.13M
1.7% share

El Salvador - export composition by product categories (Exports), 2024 (USD)

Largest product categories by export value in the selected year.
Flow: Exports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade

El Salvador - export composition by 4-digit product groups (Exports), 2024 (USD)

Area reflects share within the displayed list; hover for product codes.
Flow: Exports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade

Imports

El Salvador - imports over time (Imports), 2015-2024 (USD)

Annual reported import values across available years.
Flow: Imports | Years: 2015-2024 | Unit: USD | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade

Top import categories

Largest HS2 categories by import value in the selected year.

#1 • HS 27
Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes
$2.37B
14.8% share
#2 • HS 85
Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers; television image and sound recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories of such articles
$1.18B
7.4% share
#3 • HS 84
Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors; parts thereof
$1.12B
7.0% share
#4 • HS 87
Vehicles; other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof
$1.09B
6.8% share
#5 • HS 39
Plastics and articles thereof
$934.47M
5.9% share
#6 • HS 30
Pharmaceutical products
$651.74M
4.1% share
#7 • HS 21
Miscellaneous edible preparations
$485.93M
3.0% share
#8 • HS 72
Iron and steel
$478.32M
3.0% share
#9 • HS 61
Apparel and clothing accessories; knitted or crocheted
$374.36M
2.3% share
#10 • HS 10
Cereals
$344.20M
2.2% share
#11 • HS 02
Meat and edible meat offal
$339.16M
2.1% share
#12 • HS 48
Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or paperboard
$336.95M
2.1% share
#13 • HS 04
Dairy produce; birds' eggs; natural honey; edible products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or included
$324.66M
2.0% share
#14 • HS 73
Iron or steel articles
$314.63M
2.0% share
#15 • HS 33
Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations
$309.46M
1.9% share

El Salvador - import composition by product categories (Imports), 2024 (USD)

Largest product categories by import value in the selected year.
Flow: Imports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade

El Salvador - import composition by 4-digit product groups (Imports), 2024 (USD)

Area reflects share within the displayed list; hover for product codes.
Flow: Imports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade