El Salvador Trade Deficit Widens in June

El Salvador's trade deficit widened to $1,030.96 million on June 2026 from $856.96 million in the same month a year earlier. Imports rose 16.5% year-on-year to $1,628.1 million, driven by purchases from Central America (4.7%), mainly Costa Rica, and Panama (63.5%). Meanwhile, exports rose at a slower pace of 10.5% to $597.2 million, supported by shipments to the UK (38%), Ecuador (25.2%) and Mexico (24.2%). In the January–June 2026 period, the trade deficit widened to $5,919.1 million from $5,302.4 million in the corresponding period a year earlier.

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.

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.