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Trade between Nicaragua and the United States

In 2024, Nicaragua exported $4.1 billion to the United States and imported $2.7 billion. Nicaragua ran a surplus of $1.4 billion with the United States, compared with a surplus of $1.7 billion in 2019. The United States was Nicaragua’s largest trading partner (33% of its trade), and Nicaragua was the United States’ 60th (0.1%).

Summary

Nicaragua → United States
$4.1billion
United States → Nicaragua
$2.7billion
Nicaragua’s balance
$1.4billion

Balance

Nicaragua’s trade balance with the United States

Trade between Nicaragua and the United States grew 10.3-fold since 1995

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

  • Exports 4.1
  • Imports 2.7
  • Balance +1.4

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$300 million$364 million-$64 million
1996$451 million$391 million$59 million
1997$504 million$564 million-$60 million
1998$457 million$478 million-$21 million
1999$485 million$590 million-$105 million
2000$461 million$448 million$13 million
2001$464 million$496 million-$32 million
2002$587 million$482 million$106 million
2003$755 million$514 million$241 million
2004$939 million$501 million$437 million
2005$952 million$540 million$412 million
2006$1.2 billion$658 million$552 million
2007$1.1 billion$868 million$223 million
2008$1.4 billion$887 million$469 million
2009$1.2 billion$758 million$475 million
2010$1.6 billion$911 million$687 million
2011$1.6 billion$1 billion$539 million
2012$3.3 billion$1.1 billion$2.2 billion
2013$3.1 billion$964 million$2.2 billion
2014$2.5 billion$958 million$1.6 billion
2015$2.8 billion$1.1 billion$1.8 billion
2016$3 billion$1.7 billion$1.2 billion
2017$3.2 billion$1.8 billion$1.3 billion
2018$3.4 billion$2 billion$1.4 billion
2019$3.7 billion$2 billion$1.7 billion
2020$3.4 billion$1.7 billion$1.8 billion
2021$4.3 billion$2.4 billion$1.9 billion
2022$4.8 billion$3 billion$1.7 billion
2023$4.2 billion$2.7 billion$1.5 billion
2024$4.1 billion$2.7 billion$1.4 billion

What they sell each other

What Nicaragua sells to the United States

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

  1. T-shirts$782 million · 19.1%
    29 thousand tonnes
  2. Gold$713 million · 17.4%
    12 tonnes · Nicaragua’s destinations
  3. Cigarettes and cigars$380 million · 9.3%
    7 thousand tonnes · the United States’ sources
  4. Cables and wire$334 million · 8.2%
    5 thousand tonnes · the United States’ sources
  5. Sweaters and pullovers$312 million · 7.6%
    12 thousand tonnes
  6. Coffee$234 million · 5.7%
    53 thousand tonnes · the United States’ sources
  7. Frozen beef$198 million · 4.8%
    35 thousand tonnes
  8. Men's suits and trousers$148 million · 3.6%
    9 thousand tonnes
  9. Fresh beef$120 million · 2.9%
    15 thousand tonnes
  10. Women's knitted blouses$114 million · 2.8%
    5 thousand tonnes

What the United States sells to Nicaragua

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

  1. Refined petroleum$585 million · 21.5%
    643 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  2. Crude petroleum$518 million · 19.1%
    689 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  3. Rice$101 million · 3.7%
    184 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  4. Corn$100 million · 3.7%
    389 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  5. Natural gas and LPG$84 million · 3.1%
    123 thousand tonnes
  6. Soybean meal and pellets$68 million · 2.5%
    142 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  7. Other knitted fabric$63 million · 2.3%
    7 thousand tonnes
  8. Pork$57 million · 2.1%
    16 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  9. Synthetic staple fiber fabric$52 million · 1.9%
    2 thousand tonnes
  10. Low-voltage switches and connectors$41 million · 1.5%
    1 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Corinto to Los Angeles.

The estimated sea route between Corinto and Los Angeles is 2,373 nautical miles (4,395 km) long: ≈ 5.5–7 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$5.1 billion · 75.3%
  2. Air$1.7 billion · 24.7%

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

How much each matters to the other

The United States was Nicaragua’s largest trading partner (33% of its trade), and Nicaragua was the United States’ 60th (0.1%).

The United States in Nicaragua’s trade
33.3%
The United States’ rank among Nicaragua’s partners
1st
Nicaragua in the United States’ trade
0.1%
Nicaragua’s rank among the United States’ partners
60th

Compare with

Other partners of Nicaragua

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.