Summary
- Exports
- $6.7billion
- Imports
- $16.4billion
- Trade balance
- -$9.7billion
Products
What it exports
T-shirts (8.6%) and sweaters and pullovers (5.9%) together make up 14.5% of its exports.
What it imports
Refined petroleum (10.7%) and natural gas and LPG (3.8%) together make up 14.5% of its imports.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $1.6 billion | $359 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $545 million | $977 million |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $509 million | $1.2 billion |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $379 million | $400 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $354 million | $52 million |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $276 million | $2.4 billion |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $230 million | $230 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $208 million | $630 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $186 million | $192 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $162 million | $506 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $152 million | $16 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $134 million | $490 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $126 million | $172 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $115 million | $108 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $109 million | $92 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $106 million | $103 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $101 million | $312 million |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $93 million | $152 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $91 million | $218 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $84 million | $159 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $80 million | $65 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $80 million | $138 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $74 million | $136 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $67 million | $1.2 billion |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $61 million | $324 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $58 million | $194 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $50 million | $59 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $50 million | $120 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $50 million | $231 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $39 million | $181 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $37 million | $302 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $36 million | $121 million |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $35 million | $39 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $34 million | $130 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $32 million | $274 million |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $31 million | $56 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $28 million | $39 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $25 million | $1.1 billion |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $24 million | $27 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $23 million | $87 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $22 million | $16 million |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $21 million | $65 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $18 million | $338 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $15 million | $154 million |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $14 million | $82 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $13 million | $73 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $12 million | $42 million |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $11 million | $74 million |
| 74 · Copper | $10 million | $34 million |
| 01 · Live animals | $10 million | $13 million |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $9 million | $214 million |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $9 million | $27 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $8 million | $119 million |
| 44 · Wood | $8 million | $82 million |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $8 million | $38 million |
| 65 · Hats | $6 million | $15 million |
| 78 · Lead | $6 million | $3 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $6 million | $74 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $6 million | $62 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $5 million | $162 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $5 million | $5 million |
| 70 · Glass | $5 million | $56 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $4 million | $45 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $4 million | $338 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $4 million | $103 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $3 million | $245 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $3 million | $10 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $3 million | $124 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $2 million | $30 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $2 million | $6 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $2 million | $23 million |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $1 million | $357 thousand |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $1 million | $29 million |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $634 thousand | $7 million |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $627 thousand | $4 million |
| 14 · Other plant products | $419 thousand | $270 thousand |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $384 thousand | $5 million |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $361 thousand | $357 thousand |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $284 thousand | $759 thousand |
| 79 · Zinc | $277 thousand | $3 million |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $269 thousand | $7 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $269 thousand | $5 million |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $265 thousand | $7 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $257 thousand | $3 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $229 thousand | $20 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $129 thousand | $1 million |
| 81 · Other base metals | $116 thousand | $14 million |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $101 thousand | $5 million |
| 80 · Tin | $83 thousand | $925 thousand |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $64 thousand | $2 million |
| 75 · Nickel | $43 thousand | $526 thousand |
| 50 · Silk | $16 thousand | $46 thousand |
| 45 · Cork | $14 thousand | $281 thousand |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $4 thousand | $5 million |
| 51 · Wool | $3 thousand | $3 million |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $1 thousand | $165 thousand |
Trading partners
The United States is its main destination (33.1% of exports) and source (27% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2.2 | 33.1% | Sea |
| Guatemala | 1.2 | 18.5% | Land |
| Honduras | 0.97 | 14.4% | Land |
| Nicaragua | 0.58 | 8.6% | Sea |
| Costa Rica | 0.31 | 4.6% | Sea |
| Mexico | 0.28 | 4.2% | Sea |
| Dominican Republic | 0.14 | 2.1% | Sea |
| Panama | 0.12 | 1.8% | Sea |
| Germany | 0.08 | 1.2% | Air |
| Spain | 0.08 | 1.2% | Sea |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 4.4 | 27% | Sea |
| China | 2.7 | 16.7% | Sea |
| Guatemala | 1.7 | 10.3% | Land |
| Mexico | 1.4 | 8.3% | Sea |
| Honduras | 0.76 | 4.6% | Land |
| Nicaragua | 0.49 | 3% | Sea |
| Costa Rica | 0.46 | 2.8% | Sea |
| France | 0.34 | 2.1% | Air |
| South Korea | 0.29 | 1.8% | Sea |
| Japan | 0.29 | 1.8% | Sea |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, El Salvador accounted for 0.03% of world exports, compared with 0.03% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 4.7-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 6.7
- Imports 16.4
- Balance -9.7
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $1.4 billion | $2.9 billion | -$1.5 billion |
| 1996 | $1.6 billion | $3.1 billion | -$1.5 billion |
| 1997 | $2.4 billion | $3.4 billion | -$944 million |
| 1998 | $1.9 billion | $3.7 billion | -$1.9 billion |
| 1999 | $2 billion | $3.7 billion | -$1.8 billion |
| 2000 | $2.8 billion | $5 billion | -$2.2 billion |
| 2001 | $3.1 billion | $5.7 billion | -$2.6 billion |
| 2002 | $3.3 billion | $5.4 billion | -$2.2 billion |
| 2003 | $3.5 billion | $6.1 billion | -$2.6 billion |
| 2004 | $3.6 billion | $6.5 billion | -$3 billion |
| 2005 | $3.7 billion | $7 billion | -$3.3 billion |
| 2006 | $3.9 billion | $8.1 billion | -$4.2 billion |
| 2007 | $4.3 billion | $9.1 billion | -$4.8 billion |
| 2008 | $5.1 billion | $10.4 billion | -$5.3 billion |
| 2009 | $4.1 billion | $7.7 billion | -$3.6 billion |
| 2010 | $4.8 billion | $8.8 billion | -$4 billion |
| 2011 | $5.8 billion | $10.4 billion | -$4.6 billion |
| 2012 | $5.7 billion | $10.5 billion | -$4.8 billion |
| 2013 | $6 billion | $11.3 billion | -$5.3 billion |
| 2014 | $5.6 billion | $11 billion | -$5.4 billion |
| 2015 | $5.9 billion | $10.6 billion | -$4.7 billion |
| 2016 | $5.9 billion | $10.2 billion | -$4.3 billion |
| 2017 | $6.4 billion | $11 billion | -$4.6 billion |
| 2018 | $6.4 billion | $12.1 billion | -$5.7 billion |
| 2019 | $6.3 billion | $12 billion | -$5.8 billion |
| 2020 | $5.2 billion | $10.1 billion | -$4.9 billion |
| 2021 | $6.7 billion | $14.6 billion | -$7.9 billion |
| 2022 | $7.5 billion | $17.3 billion | -$9.8 billion |
| 2023 | $6.7 billion | $15.9 billion | -$9.1 billion |
| 2024 | $6.7 billion | $16.4 billion | -$9.7 billion |
World rank
El Salvador fell from 104th to 120th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 104th in 1995
- 120th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 104th |
| 1996 | 103rd |
| 1997 | 91st |
| 1998 | 99th |
| 1999 | 96th |
| 2000 | 92nd |
| 2001 | 88th |
| 2002 | 87th |
| 2003 | 92nd |
| 2004 | 97th |
| 2005 | 107th |
| 2006 | 114th |
| 2007 | 112th |
| 2008 | 112th |
| 2009 | 109th |
| 2010 | 112th |
| 2011 | 110th |
| 2012 | 114th |
| 2013 | 113th |
| 2014 | 116th |
| 2015 | 106th |
| 2016 | 105th |
| 2017 | 106th |
| 2018 | 112th |
| 2019 | 111th |
| 2020 | 114th |
| 2021 | 116th |
| 2022 | 117th |
| 2023 | 121st |
| 2024 | 120th |
What it sells
Its top export group is still knitted clothing: 23% in 2024
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 39%
- Pharmaceuticals 3%
- Baked goods and cereal products 3%
- Oil, gas and coal 4%
- Sugar and sweets 5%
- Paper and paperboard 6%
- Electrical and electronic equipment 8%
- Plastics 8%
- Knitted clothing 23%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Knitted clothing | 10.5% | 23.3% |
| Plastics | 1.8% | 8.1% |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 4.1% | 7.6% |
| Paper and paperboard | 4.2% | 5.7% |
| Sugar and sweets | 3.9% | 5.3% |
| Oil, gas and coal | 0.29% | 4.1% |
| Baked goods and cereal products | 1.7% | 3.4% |
| Pharmaceuticals | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Other | 70.7% | 39.4% |
Who it trades with
The United States went from 41% to 29% of El Salvador's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- United States 29%
- Guatemala 13%
- China 12%
- Honduras 7%
- Mexico 7%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 41% | 28.8% |
| Guatemala | 11% | 12.7% |
| China | 0.99% | 12.1% |
| Honduras | 3.1% | 7.5% |
| Mexico | 4.1% | 7.1% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeSources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.