A. M. 
El Salvador experienced a slowdown in the contraction of its exports during 2024, according to the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) most recent report on Estimates of Trade Trends: Latin America and the Caribbean 2025. The estimated drop was 0.8%, a marked improvement over the 8.7% decline recorded in 2023. Plastics exports showed robust performance, achieving growth that helped soften the negative impact of other products.
This reflects a positive trend in demand for this material, which continues to be essential in various industrial and consumer sectors, both regionally and internationally.
Although export volumes declined, improved prices for some products were a positive factor that helped mitigate the decline.
The report notes that increased exports to other Latin American and Asian countries were not enough to offset the decline in shipments to the United States and the European Union. Clothing, accessories, and iron and steel casting products were the main drivers of the decline. However, one of the sectors that stood out positively was plastics.
Despite the decline in overall exports, cereal-based preparations also registered an increase in their external sales, which underlines the diversification of Salvadoran exports. These increases in specific products have made it possible to reduce the impact of the declines in other areas.
The report also highlighted the differences in export channels. While shipments through the Sistema de Regímenes Especiales de Comercio (REC) fell by 10.8%, those made through the Territorio Aduanero General (TAG) increased slightly by 0.9%.
