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Nicaragua trade in 2024

In 2024, Nicaragua exported $8.8 billion and imported $11.7 billion, a trade deficit of $3 billion. It was the world's 110th-largest exporter, with 0.04% of world exports. Its top export was gold (17% of the total) and its main trading partner was the United States (33.3% of its trade).

Summary

Exports
$8.8billion
Imports
$11.7billion
Trade balance
-$3billion
Routes to the main partners. Width: trade value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand
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Products

What it exports

Gold (17%) and cables and wire (11.6%) together make up 28.6% of its exports.

  1. Gold$1.5 billion · 17%
    Main partner: United States
  2. Cables and wire$1 billion · 11.6%
    Main partner: Mexico
  3. T-shirts$1 billion · 11.4%
    Main partner: United States
  4. Coffee$582 million · 6.6%
    Main partner: United States
  5. Cigarettes and cigars$461 million · 5.3%
    Main partner: United States
  6. Fresh beef$446 million · 5.1%
    Main partner: El Salvador
  7. Sweaters and pullovers$375 million · 4.3%
    Main partner: United States
  8. Crude petroleum$357 million · 4.1%
    Main partner: Senegal
  9. Frozen beef$319 million · 3.6%
    Main partner: United States
  10. Cane and beet sugar$233 million · 2.7%
    Main partner: Peru

What it imports

Refined petroleum (7.3%) and crude petroleum (4.4%) together make up 11.7% of its imports.

  1. Refined petroleum$853 million · 7.3%
    Main partner: United States
  2. Crude petroleum$518 million · 4.4%
    Main partner: United States
  3. T-shirts$485 million · 4.1%
    Main partner: Honduras
  4. Other knitted fabric$471 million · 4%
    Main partner: Guatemala
  5. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$436 million · 3.7%
    Main partner: Guatemala
  6. Trucks$374 million · 3.2%
    Main partner: Argentina
  7. Cables and wire$272 million · 2.3%
    Main partner: Mexico
  8. Cars$229 million · 2%
    Main partner: Indonesia
  9. Other plastic articles$201 million · 1.7%
    Main partner: Mexico
  10. Plastic packaging$188 million · 1.6%
    Main partner: El Salvador

Its products

Destinations and sources of its products that have their own page.

By Harmonized System chapter (96)
ChapterExportsImports
61 · Knitted clothing$1.7 billion$712 million
71 · Gems and precious metals$1.5 billion$11 million
85 · Electrical and electronic equipment$1 billion$770 million
02 · Meat and offal$800 million$84 million
09 · Coffee, tea and spices$584 million$7 million
24 · Tobacco$490 million$175 million
27 · Oil, gas and coal$418 million$1.6 billion
62 · Woven clothing$306 million$90 million
17 · Sugar and sweets$292 million$36 million
04 · Dairy, eggs and honey$256 million$71 million
03 · Fish and seafood$230 million$18 million
07 · Vegetables$155 million$35 million
12 · Oilseeds and grains$145 million$16 million
15 · Fats and oils$110 million$138 million
08 · Fruit and nuts$94 million$24 million
22 · Beverages and spirits$87 million$130 million
52 · Cotton$49 million$106 million
55 · Synthetic staple fibers$45 million$100 million
39 · Plastics$44 million$613 million
16 · Prepared meat and fish$37 million$58 million
72 · Iron and steel$33 million$355 million
90 · Precision and medical instruments$25 million$146 million
19 · Baked goods and cereal products$20 million$196 million
18 · Cocoa and chocolate$19 million$16 million
11 · Milling products and malt$19 million$49 million
20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables$18 million$73 million
05 · Other animal products$18 million$519 thousand
74 · Copper$15 million$50 million
21 · Food preparations$15 million$255 million
84 · Mechanical machinery$14 million$722 million
73 · Iron and steel products$13 million$220 million
23 · Animal feed and food waste$13 million$180 million
30 · Pharmaceuticals$13 million$521 million
44 · Wood$13 million$40 million
32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents$12 million$91 million
26 · Ores and slag$11 million$708 thousand
94 · Furniture and lighting$11 million$134 million
06 · Live plants and flowers$10 million$8 million
76 · Aluminum$9 million$68 million
38 · Miscellaneous chemicals$8 million$219 million
41 · Hides and leather$6 million$5 million
54 · Synthetic filaments$6 million$57 million
63 · Home textiles and used clothing$6 million$77 million
47 · Wood pulp$5 million$570 thousand
28 · Inorganic chemicals$4 million$54 million
01 · Live animals$4 million$16 million
34 · Soap and cleaning products$4 million$129 million
10 · Cereals$3 million$343 million
48 · Paper and paperboard$3 million$299 million
64 · Footwear$3 million$64 million
29 · Organic chemicals$3 million$39 million
69 · Ceramics$2 million$57 million
87 · Vehicles$2 million$925 million
25 · Salt, stone and cement$2 million$54 million
42 · Leather goods and bags$2 million$74 million
68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles$2 million$43 million
13 · Gums and plant extracts$2 million$862 thousand
60 · Knitted fabric$1 million$486 million
31 · Fertilizers$1 million$197 million
40 · Rubber$1 million$104 million
70 · Glass$972 thousand$36 million
88 · Aircraft and spacecraft$921 thousand$4 million
79 · Zinc$564 thousand$3 million
65 · Hats$533 thousand$7 million
35 · Glues, starches and enzymes$459 thousand$19 million
33 · Perfumes and cosmetics$421 thousand$158 million
49 · Books and printed matter$345 thousand$31 million
56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope$295 thousand$11 million
95 · Toys and sports gear$286 thousand$40 million
96 · Other manufactured goods$236 thousand$54 million
83 · Miscellaneous metal goods$235 thousand$45 million
58 · Special fabrics and lace$228 thousand$33 million
78 · Lead$223 thousand$234 thousand
82 · Tools and cutlery$169 thousand$49 million
14 · Other plant products$155 thousand$74 thousand
97 · Art and antiques$123 thousand$219 thousand
50 · Silk$120 thousand$43 thousand
45 · Cork$107 thousand$160 thousand
80 · Tin$92 thousand$1 million
92 · Musical instruments$86 thousand$3 million
86 · Railway equipment$77 thousand$7 million
57 · Carpets and rugs$56 thousand$3 million
46 · Wicker and basketware$45 thousand$249 thousand
67 · Feathers and artificial flowers$37 thousand$2 million
91 · Watches and clocks$19 thousand$2 million
59 · Coated and technical textiles$18 thousand$38 million
66 · Umbrellas and canes$13 thousand$2 million
37 · Photographic goods$13 thousand$5 million
75 · Nickel$11 thousand$111 thousand
36 · Explosives and matches$10 thousand$29 million
81 · Other base metals$8 thousand$227 thousand
53 · Other plant fibers$845$2 million
93 · Weapons and ammunition$432$64 thousand
51 · Wool$162$41 thousand
43 · Fur and fur goods$6$840
89 · Ships and boats$0$12 million

Trading partners

The United States is its main destination (46.8% of exports) and source (23.2% of imports).

Who it sells to

PartnerValue (USD billions)ShareMode
United StatesTrade with the United States4.146.8%Sea
MexicoTrade with Mexico111.6%Sea
Canada0.576.5%Air
El Salvador0.495.6%Sea
Senegal0.384.4%Sea
Switzerland0.313.6%Air
HondurasTrade with Honduras0.313.5%Land
Costa Rica0.222.6%Land
Guatemala0.182.1%Sea
Belgium0.121.4%Sea

Who it buys from

PartnerValue (USD billions)ShareMode
United StatesTrade with the United States2.723.2%Sea
ChinaTrade with China1.714.3%Sea
MexicoTrade with Mexico18.5%Sea
Guatemala18.5%Sea
HondurasTrade with Honduras0.998.4%Land
Costa Rica0.716%Land
El Salvador0.584.9%Sea
India0.383.2%Sea
Ecuador0.272.3%Sea
Japan0.232%Sea

Overview 1995–2024

In 2024, Nicaragua accounted for 0.04% of world exports, compared with 0.01% in 1995.

Exports and imports

Exports grew 13.7-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 8.8
  • Imports 11.7
  • Balance -3

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$639 million$1.2 billion-$578 million
1996$851 million$1.3 billion-$457 million
1997$932 million$1.7 billion-$761 million
1998$873 million$2.1 billion-$1.2 billion
1999$863 million$1.9 billion-$1 billion
2000$908 million$2 billion-$1.1 billion
2001$978 million$2 billion-$1 billion
2002$985 million$2 billion-$1.1 billion
2003$1.2 billion$2.2 billion-$959 million
2004$1.5 billion$2.6 billion-$1.1 billion
2005$1.7 billion$3 billion-$1.2 billion
2006$1.9 billion$3.4 billion-$1.5 billion
2007$2.1 billion$4.2 billion-$2.1 billion
2008$2.6 billion$4.6 billion-$1.9 billion
2009$2.4 billion$4.2 billion-$1.8 billion
2010$3.1 billion$4.9 billion-$1.8 billion
2011$3.9 billion$6 billion-$2.1 billion
2012$6.4 billion$6.8 billion-$486 million
2013$6.6 billion$6.3 billion$240 million
2014$5.3 billion$6.5 billion-$1.2 billion
2015$5.2 billion$6.6 billion-$1.4 billion
2016$5.3 billion$8 billion-$2.7 billion
2017$5.4 billion$8.3 billion-$2.9 billion
2018$5.6 billion$7.8 billion-$2.2 billion
2019$6 billion$7.4 billion-$1.4 billion
2020$5.8 billion$7 billion-$1.2 billion
2021$7.5 billion$10.1 billion-$2.6 billion
2022$8.8 billion$11.6 billion-$2.8 billion
2023$8.4 billion$11.2 billion-$2.8 billion
2024$8.8 billion$11.7 billion-$3 billion

World rank

Nicaragua rose from 120th to 110th among the world's exporters

Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).

  • 120th in 1995
  • 110th in 2024

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearRank
1995120th
1996117th
1997121st
1998120th
1999121st
2000129th
2001130th
2002130th
2003128th
2004127th
2005128th
2006128th
2007132nd
2008125th
2009120th
2010119th
2011122nd
2012107th
2013112th
2014118th
2015115th
2016111th
2017114th
2018117th
2019113th
2020112th
2021113th
2022109th
2023112th
2024110th

What it sells

Knitted clothing became its top export group: from 2% to 19%

% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.

  • Other 22%
  • Woven clothing 3%
  • Oil, gas and coal 5%
  • Tobacco 6%
  • Coffee, tea and spices 7%
  • Meat and offal 9%
  • Electrical and electronic equipment 12%
  • Gems and precious metals 17%
  • Knitted clothing 19%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Chapter19952024
Knitted clothing2.5%19.4%
Gems and precious metals3.2%17.4%
Electrical and electronic equipment2.2%11.6%
Meat and offal8.8%9.1%
Coffee, tea and spices20.8%6.7%
Tobacco0.69%5.6%
Oil, gas and coal0.58%4.8%
Woven clothing9.1%3.5%
Other52.2%21.9%

Who it trades with

China went from 0.3% to 9% of Nicaragua's trade

% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.

  • United States 33%
  • Mexico 10%
  • China 9%
  • Honduras 6%
  • Guatemala 6%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
United States35.8%33.3%
Mexico2.6%9.8%
China0.33%8.6%
Honduras2.6%6.3%
Guatemala5.2%5.8%

Production hubs

Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)

No hubs above the globe threshold.

View on the globe

Largest economic production hubs (gridded GDP, 2024)

  • Managua$25.5 billion (PPP, 2021 dollars)
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Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

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.

Neighboring countries

Main partners

See all countries