The exception regime implemented by the government since March 27 has borne fruit in the industrial sector. According to the executive director of the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists (ASI), Jorge Arriaza, more than 50% of the member companies have reported positive results in their operations.

“The reports we have from the companies reveal that extortions have decreased and that they are taking place in a calmer way and with the normal activities of the industry,” Arriaza said.

According to the ASI spokesman, the country has approximately 3,000 formal industrial companies, both large and small.”A high percentage of our partners, I would say it could be more than 50% of our partners who give us that information,” he stressed.

In this sense, he affirmed that the companies that report improvements are mainly small and medium-sized, since large companies have their own security mechanisms.

More investments

Regarding exports, he affirmed that they will continue with a growth trend due to the fact that companies are innovating in the elaboration and distribution of their products.

Regarding new investments, he affirmed that the industry constantly needs to be innovating in equipment and tools, for which it invests around $200 million per year.

“We believe that there will be more investment in terms of construction with all the public works that are being planned and those that are being carried out. We believe that this and next year can be positive for new investment », he said.

He also highlighted that the construction sector is one of the fastest growing and that there is almost $1,200 million of investment in public and private works.

Other sectors linked to construction, which also report growth, are: metalworking, plastics, and packaging.

The best of exports.

Arriaza highlighted the performance of the sector during the presentation of the Ranking of Industrial Exporters 2022. At the event, he reported that the companies that lead the ranking are: in the textile and clothing sector: Hanes Brands Inc; in food: Calvo Group; in beverages: Livsmart; in plastic: Ternova; in the paper, cardboard, and graphic arts sector: Kimberly Clark El Salvador.

The union also recognized the performance of other sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, Laboratories Vijosa;metalworking sector, Galvanissa; in furniture, Indufoam; in the electronic, Kyocera AVX; Industrial companies with the highest local sales, La Constancia; largest exporter to Central America and largest industrial exporter in El Salvador, Hanes Brands; and the financial institution that most supports the industry, Bancoagrícola.