Countries
El Salvador: trade by HS code
- US$7bnExports 2024
- US$16bnImports 2024
- 3,169HS6 · Exports
- Latin AmericaRegion
- US Dollar (USD)Currency
In 2024, exports from El Salvador came to US$7bn and imports to US$16bn.
Its main exports were cotton T-shirts and vests, knitted (6109.10), synthetic sweaters and cardigans, knitted (6110.30) and t-shirts and vests of other fibres, knitted (6109.90).
Its largest customer was the United States and its largest supplier the United States.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the UK imported goods worth £23m from El Salvador (-2% on the year before), above all green coffee (not decaffeinated), tantalum capacitors and molasses resulting from the extraction…, and exported £17.9m to it.
Under Central America, 93% of the UK tariff lines are duty-free for goods from El Salvador that meet the rules of origin.
El Salvador and the UK
Agreement or scheme: Central America
What the UK imports from El Salvador
- 0901.11Green coffee (not decaffeinated)
- 8532.21Tantalum capacitors
- 1703.10Molasses resulting from the extraction or refining of sugar: cane molasses
- 6109.90T-shirts and vests of other fibres, knitted
- 6403.99Leather shoes (not ankle-covering)
- 3808.93Herbicides
- 6110.20Cotton sweaters and cardigans, knitted
- 6110.30Synthetic sweaters and cardigans, knitted
- 6109.10Cotton T-shirts and vests, knitted
- 1604.14Prepared or preserved tuna
Data up to August 2026 (provisional) · HMRC
El Salvador and the EU
Agreement or scheme: Central America
What the EU imports from El Salvador
- 1604.14Prepared or preserved tuna
- 8532.21Tantalum capacitors
- 0901.11Green coffee (not decaffeinated)
- 1701.99Refined sugar (other)
- 1701.14Raw cane sugar (other)
- 8532.24Multilayer ceramic capacitors
- 6109.90T-shirts and vests of other fibres, knitted
- 6109.10Cotton T-shirts and vests, knitted
- 3808.93Herbicides
- 0303.42Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)
Data up to August 2026 (provisional) · Eurostat Comext
Top exports
- 6109.10Cotton T-shirts and vests, knitted
- 6110.30Synthetic sweaters and cardigans, knitted
- 6109.90T-shirts and vests of other fibres, knitted
- 1701.14Raw cane sugar (other)
- 3923.30Plastic bottles and flasks
- 4818.10Toilet paper
- 3004.90Other medicines, dosed or for retail sale
- 0901.11Green coffee (not decaffeinated)
- 6110.20Cotton sweaters and cardigans, knitted
- 2202.99Other non-alcoholic beverages
- 1905.90Other bakery products
- 8544.30Vehicle wiring harnesses
- 6115.96Synthetic socks and hosiery
- 1604.14Prepared or preserved tuna
- 6107.11Men's cotton underpants and briefs, knitted
- 2106.90Other food preparations
- 2711.12Liquefied propane
- 3920.20Polypropylene film and sheet
- 3923.21Polyethylene bags and sacks
- 6115.95Cotton socks and hosiery
Top imports
- 3004.90Other medicines, dosed or for retail sale
- 2711.12Liquefied propane
- 8704.21Diesel trucks, GVW up to 5 t
- 8517.13Smartphones
- 2106.90Other food preparations
- 8802.40Aircraft over 15,000 kg
- 2711.11Liquefied natural gas (LNG)
- 8703.23Petrol cars, 1500-3000 cc
- 1005.90Maize (corn), not for sowing
- 3907.61PET resin, viscosity 78 ml/g or more
- 0201.30Fresh or chilled boneless beef
- 8471.30Laptops and portable computers (max 10 kg)
- 2304.00Soybean meal
- 2716.00Electricity
- 0406.30Processed cheese
- 1511.90Refined palm oil and fractions
- 5201.00Raw cotton (not carded or combed)
- 8517.62Network switching and routing equipment
- 8528.72Colour televisions
- 2711.19Other liquefied petroleum gases
Main buyers from El Salvador
Main suppliers of El Salvador
Economy, trade and logistics
Key figures on the size of the economy, its place in world trade and how fast goods cross its borders, from the World Bank and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Each value shows the year it refers to.
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||
| Population | 6.4m | 2025 |
| GDP (current US$) | US$36.7bn | 2025 |
| GDP per person (current US$) | US$5,767 | 2025 |
| Trade in goods and services, % of GDP | 88% | 2025 |
| Trade | ||
| Share of world goods exports | 0.02% | 2025 |
| Share of world goods imports | 0.07% | 2025 |
| Products exported (SITC 3-digit groups) | 198 | 2025 |
| Export concentration index · 0 = exports spread evenly across products, 1 = a single product | 0.15 | 2025 |
| Average applied tariff, simple mean, all products | 3.1% | 2022 |
| Average applied tariff, trade-weighted, all products | 2.2% | 2022 |
| Logistics | ||
| Logistics Performance Index (LPI) · score from 1 (low) to 5 (high) | 2.7 | 2022 |
| LPI: efficiency of customs and border clearance | 2.4 | 2022 |
| Liner shipping connectivity index · rank 128 in the world | 25.4 | 2026 Q3 |
| Container port throughput (TEU) | 255,017 | 2024 |
Time and cost at the border (2019)
For one shipment of the country's typical traded product, as measured by the World Bank's Doing Business survey in its last edition; the survey has since been discontinued.
| Indicator | Import | Export |
|---|---|---|
| Border compliance (hours) | 36 | 24 |
| Documentary compliance (hours) | 13.3 | 9.3 |
| Border compliance (US$) | US$128 | US$128 |
| Documentary compliance (US$) | US$67 | US$50 |
World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0); UNCTADstat (CC BY 3.0 IGO)
Questions and answers
What does El Salvador export most?
In 2024, its largest export at the six-digit level was cotton T-shirts and vests, knitted (HS 6109.10), worth US$423m.
Does the UK have a trade agreement with El Salvador?
Yes: goods from El Salvador can enter at preferential rates under Central America, duty-free on 93% of tariff lines, provided they meet the rules of origin and come with proof of origin.