Trading Partner Portal: El Salvador
Overview
Ambassador Greer Signs the U.S.–El Salvador Agreement on Reciprocal Trade
United States Trade Representative, January 29, 2026
Joint Statement on Framework for United States-El Salvador Agreement
on Reciprocal Trade
The White House, November 13, 2025
Trade Overview
El Salvador is a small developing country in Central America approximately equivalent in size to New Jersey. El Salvador, with a population of 6.4 million people, gross domestic product (GDP) of $36 billion, and GDP per capita of $5,607. El Salvador is classified by the World Bank as a lower middle-income country. Though it is a smaller country, El Salvador has a vast array of production. While the majority of the land in El Salvador is used for agricultural production (about 75%), its exports vary from offshore assembly exports, to coffee, sugar, and textiles. World Bank
U.S. – El Salvador Trade
The United States is the top importer of Salvadorian goods and the top exporter to El Salvador. Two-way goods trade between El Salvador and the United States was $6.88 billion worth of commodities, with exports to El Salvador totaling $4.60 billion. Top exports included petroleum and coal products ($1.54 billion), processed foods ($456 million), computer and electronic products ($310 million), agricultural products ($304 million), and chemicals ($281 million).
In 2025, the United States imported around $2.28 billion worth of goods from El Salvador. Top products included apparel and accessories ($1.26 billion), processed foods ($276 million), goods returned ($195 million), agricultural products ($109 million), and transportation equipment ($86 million). U.S. Department of Commerce
Services exports totaled $2.34 billion, with top exports being travel, transport services, other business services, financial services, and government goods and services.
Service imports totaled $1.76 billion, with top imports from El Salvador to the U.S. being travel, other business services, transport, telecommunications, computer, & information services, and financial services.
El Salvador – California Trade
California exported $562 million of products to El Salvador in 2025. Petroleum and coal products are the main exported good from California, making up $368 million of the total. Other key exports are processed foods ($56 million), computer & electronic products ($24 million), transportation equipment ($16 million), and used or secondhand merchandise ($14 million).
California is also one of the largest importers of Salvadorian products out of all U.S. states, with a total of $156 million worth of imported goods in 2025. The main imported goods included processed foods ($70 million), apparel and accessories ($33 million), agricultural products ($26 million), reimports ($8 million), and textile products ($4 million).
FDI – El Salvador
In 2024, the U.S. foreign direct investment position was roughly $1.6 billion in El Salvador. U.S. Department of Commerce, BEA
Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean
ECLAC, December 2025
Trade Agreements
Trade Agreements
CAFTA-DR (Dominican Republic- Central America Free Trade Agreement)
The United States trade deal with some of the small developing countries in Central America was signed by President George W. Bush in 2005 as an expansion of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Members of the CAFTA-DR free trade agreement include the United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. Exports from the United States to this group of countries totaled $29 billion in 2015, while imports totaled approximately $24 billion. This trade agreement ensures that 100% of goods from the United States are not subject to tariffs in these countries, it also has a goal of phasing out all tariffs on agricultural products by 2020.
Events
Events
Central American Ambassadors Promote Benefits of Trade Agreement with U.S. (03/08/2005)
The California Chamber of Commerce hosted five ambassadors representing the nations included in the proposed U.S.- Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) at an International Luncheon Forum on March 8, 2005.