El Salvador Trade Deficit Widens in July

El Salvador’s trade deficit widened to $1.19 billion in July 2026 from $1.10 billion a year earlier, as imports grew faster than exports. Imports rose 7.2% year-on-year to $1.83 billion, driven by a 14.5% increase in purchases from Central America, while imports from outside the region increased 6%. Exports rose 6% to $636 million, mainly supported by traditional exports, which surged 43.6%. Sugar shipments jumped 1,617.5%, more than offsetting a 1.7% decline in coffee sales. Exports to Central America increased 7.4%, while shipments to markets outside the region fell 0.6%.

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.