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Salvadoran exports reached US$4,036.7 million between january and july 2016, a 4.4% increase (US$170.9 million) compared to the same period in 2015, according to figures from the Banco Central de Reserva (BCR). analyzed by the Corporación de Exportadores de El Salvador (COEXPORT). This is the second-best january-july total in the last 10 years, surpassed only by 2022. In volume, the country exported 2,447.7 million kilograms, a 10.7% increase and the highest level in the 2017-2016 historical series.
Monthly performance reflected a growing trend: January, april, and june all registered double-digit or near-double-digit increases, and july was the highest-value month for exports so far this year, reaching US$636.1 million (+6.0% year-on-year).
This growth was primarily driven by traditional exports, which rose 24.7% (US$64.1 million), with sugar (+28.0%) and coffee (+21.7%) showing the strongest growth, the latter benefiting from high international prices.
Among the sectors, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances (+26.3%) and Agro-industry (+12.6%) showed the greatest progress, followed by Metalworking (+13.6%) and Mineral Products (+13.2%). The analysis also identified signs of diversification in smaller sectors, such as hides and leather (+33.5%), stone and other manufactured goods (+23.2%), and transportation equipment (+22.0%), which show significant dynamism within El Salvador’s export offerings.
In analyzing these results, COEXPORT President Silvia Cuéllar highlighted the performance of the export sector: “The data through july confirms that the salvadoran export sector is making an effort to grow in both value and volume. This month we are seeing one of the best performances in value of the decade. We are especially encouraged to see that this growth is increasingly reaching more sectors, with industries such as machinery, agribusiness, and metalworking strongly contributing to the traditional dynamism of our exports. These results reflect the capacity of salvadoran companies to compete and grow in international markets”, Cuéllar said.
The United States remained El Salvador’s main trading partner, with US$1,322.8 million in exports (+4.9%), followed by Guatemala and Honduras. Growth was also seen in exports to Mexico (+21.5%), Canada (+93.3%), and the People’s Republic of China (+28.2%), although these markets remain relatively small.
“Beyond traditional partners, Mexico is emerging as one of the most dynamic markets for salvadoran exports and the sixth most important destination, after the United States and Central American markets. This points to a gradual diversification of export markets”, Cuéllar said.
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