El Salvador’s trade deficit widened to $1,185.93 million in May 2026 from $964.78 million in the same month last year. This marked the largest trade gap since records began in 1991, as imports jumped 12% year over year to $1,741.55 million. Among major trading partners, imports increased notably from the United States (+46.9%), Guatemala (+3.5%), Mexico (+1.8%), Nicaragua (+3.3%), and Costa Rica (+12.9%). Meanwhile, exports fell 5% to $555.62 million, with shipments declining primarily to Guatemala (-0.4%), Honduras (-7.4%), Nicaragua (-6.0%), Panama (-0.9%), and Canada (-16.0%). In the January–May period, the trade deficit widened to $4,888.15 million from $4,438.55 million in the corresponding period a year earlier. source: Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador

El Salvador recorded a trade deficit of 1185.93 USD Million in May of 2026. Balance of Trade in El Salvador averaged -358.00 USD Million from 1991 until 2026, reaching an all time high of -14.62 USD Million in March of 1991 and a record low of -1185.93 USD Million in May of 2026. This page provides the latest reported value for - El Salvador Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. El Salvador Balance of Trade - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on July of 2026.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-05-26 06:30 PM
Balance of Trade
Apr $-932.45M $-1134.16M $-1200.0M
2026-06-25 09:00 PM
Balance of Trade
May $-1185.93M $-932.45M
2026-07-23 11:10 AM
Balance of Trade
Jun $-1185.93M


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade -1185.93 -932.45 USD Million May 2026
Capital Flows 52.40 -371.23 USD Million Mar 2026
Current Account -610.40 -902.65 USD Million Mar 2026
Exports 555.62 584.39 USD Million May 2026
External Debt 3746.40 27472.90 USD Million Mar 2026
Imports 1741.55 1516.84 USD Million May 2026
Remittances 923.05 851.13 USD Million May 2026


El Salvador Balance of Trade
El Salvador's systemic trade deficit is mostly explained by the country's need to import fuels (17 percent of total imports), machinery and electronic equipment (13 percent). Textiles is the country's major export being 29 percent of total exports, followed by chemicals, rubber and plastics, metallic products and sugar. The leading trading partner is the United States with 39 percent of exports and 30 percent of imports, followed by Guatemala (17 percent of exports and 10 percent of imports) and Honduras (17 percent of exports and 6 percent of imports). Others include: Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Brazil.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-1185.93 -932.45 -14.62 -1185.93 1991 - 2026 USD Million Monthly

News Stream
El Salvador Trade Deficit Largest on Record
El Salvador’s trade deficit widened to $1,185.93 million in May 2026 from $964.78 million in the same month last year. This marked the largest trade gap since records began in 1991, as imports jumped 12% year over year to $1,741.55 million. Among major trading partners, imports increased notably from the United States (+46.9%), Guatemala (+3.5%), Mexico (+1.8%), Nicaragua (+3.3%), and Costa Rica (+12.9%). Meanwhile, exports fell 5% to $555.62 million, with shipments declining primarily to Guatemala (-0.4%), Honduras (-7.4%), Nicaragua (-6.0%), Panama (-0.9%), and Canada (-16.0%). In the January–May period, the trade deficit widened to $4,888.15 million from $4,438.55 million in the corresponding period a year earlier.
2026-06-26
El Salvador Trade Deficit Widens in April
El Salvador’s trade deficit widened to $932.45 million in April 2026 from $914.08 million in the same month a year earlier. Imports increased 4.7% year-on-year to $1.52 billion, driven by an 8.6% rise in purchases from Central America and a 4.1% increase in imports from outside the region. Meanwhile, exports grew 9.3% to $584.39 million, supported by a 235.1% surge in sugar shipments and an 11.6% increase in coffee exports.
2026-05-26
El Salvador Trade Deficit Widens in March
El Salvador's trade deficit widened to $1,134.16 million in March 2026 from $895.4 million a year earlier. Imports rose 14.62% year-on-year to $1,716.77 million, driven by a 15.45% surge in purchases from outside Central America and a 12.21% jump in shipments from within the region. Exports increased 8.33% to $582.61 million, supported by a 67.72% rise in coffee sales and a 14.59% gain in sugar exports.
2026-04-28