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Trade between El Salvador and the United States

In 2024, El Salvador exported $2.2 billion to the United States and imported $4.4 billion. El Salvador ran a deficit of $2.2 billion with the United States, compared with a deficit of $917 million in 2019. The United States was El Salvador’s largest trading partner (29% of its trade), and El Salvador was the United States’ 61st (0.1%).

Summary

El Salvador → United States
$2.2billion
United States → El Salvador
$4.4billion
El Salvador’s balance
-$2.2billion

Balance

El Salvador’s trade balance with the United States

Trade between El Salvador and the United States grew 3.8-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). El Salvador’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 2.2
  • Imports 4.4
  • Balance -2.2

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$537 million$1.2 billion-$694 million
1996$729 million$1.2 billion-$472 million
1997$1.4 billion$1.5 billion-$99 million
1998$741 million$1.2 billion-$493 million
1999$912 million$1.3 billion-$355 million
2000$1.6 billion$2.1 billion-$484 million
2001$1.9 billion$2.4 billion-$537 million
2002$2.1 billion$2.2 billion-$107 million
2003$2.2 billion$2.5 billion-$284 million
2004$2.1 billion$2.5 billion-$333 million
2005$2 billion$2.3 billion-$385 million
2006$2 billion$2.5 billion-$514 million
2007$2.1 billion$2.8 billion-$632 million
2008$2.5 billion$3.1 billion-$646 million
2009$1.9 billion$2.4 billion-$439 million
2010$2.2 billion$2.7 billion-$478 million
2011$2.6 billion$3.2 billion-$647 million
2012$2.6 billion$3.2 billion-$550 million
2013$2.6 billion$3.8 billion-$1.1 billion
2014$2.5 billion$3.8 billion-$1.3 billion
2015$2.7 billion$3.4 billion-$710 million
2016$2.7 billion$3.2 billion-$532 million
2017$2.7 billion$3.3 billion-$628 million
2018$2.6 billion$3.6 billion-$976 million
2019$2.5 billion$3.4 billion-$917 million
2020$2 billion$2.6 billion-$612 million
2021$2.7 billion$4 billion-$1.4 billion
2022$2.9 billion$5.1 billion-$2.2 billion
2023$2.4 billion$4.5 billion-$2.1 billion
2024$2.2 billion$4.4 billion-$2.2 billion

What they sell each other

What El Salvador sells to the United States

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. T-shirts$429 million · 19.4%
    13 thousand tonnes
  2. Sweaters and pullovers$304 million · 13.7%
    18 thousand tonnes
  3. Socks and tights$165 million · 7.5%
    8 thousand tonnes
  4. Capacitors$156 million · 7%
    839 tonnes
  5. Cane and beet sugar$108 million · 4.9%
    156 thousand tonnes · the United States’ sources
  6. Men's knitted underwear and pajamas$85 million · 3.8%
    5 thousand tonnes
  7. Coffee$60 million · 2.7%
    12 thousand tonnes · the United States’ sources
  8. Men's knitted suits and trousers$52 million · 2.4%
    3 thousand tonnes
  9. Women's knitted suits and dresses$44 million · 2%
    2 thousand tonnes
  10. Other food preparations$42 million · 1.9%
    16 thousand tonnes

What the United States sells to El Salvador

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Refined petroleum$1.6 billion · 36.6%
    1.9 million tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  2. Natural gas and LPG$371 million · 8.4%
    660 thousand tonnes
  3. Corn$127 million · 2.9%
    482 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  4. Raw cotton$92 million · 2.1%
    41 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  5. Soybean meal and pellets$90 million · 2%
    194 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  6. Cars$77 million · 1.7%
    20 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  7. Polyethylene$70 million · 1.6%
    58 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  8. Other food preparations$70 million · 1.6%
    9 thousand tonnes
  9. Synthetic fiber yarn$65 million · 1.5%
    20 thousand tonnes
  10. Cotton yarn$60 million · 1.4%
    16 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Acajutla to Los Angeles.

The estimated sea route between Acajutla and Los Angeles is 2,194 nautical miles (4,063 km) long: ≈ 5–6.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

It does not cross any major canal or strait.

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$6.2 billion · 93.7%
  2. Air$418 million · 6.3%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

The United States was El Salvador’s largest trading partner (29% of its trade), and El Salvador was the United States’ 61st (0.1%).

The United States in El Salvador’s trade
28.8%
The United States’ rank among El Salvador’s partners
1st
El Salvador in the United States’ trade
0.1%
El Salvador’s rank among the United States’ partners
61st

Compare with

Other partners of El Salvador

Other partners of the United States

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. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.