El Salvador’s export sector is gearing up for a stronger 2025, with the Corporation of Exporters of El Salvador (Coexport) projecting that goods shipments will reach $7 billion next year. The country closed last December with more than $6.4 billion in goods exports.
Coexport president Silvia Cuéllar said exports are expected to continue rising. “We believe we will keep rebounding. If we add services, we would be talking about surpassing $14 billion. In goods alone, we expect to reach $7 billion,” she said during an interview on TV.
If the forecast holds, goods exports would grow by 8.5 percent by the end of 2025, marking a recovery after a 0.8 percent drop the previous year. As of September, Salvadoran companies had accumulated $5.13 billion in goods exports, a 5.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Cuéllar emphasized that the sector aims to achieve sustained annual growth of more than 10 percent.
On the trade front, she highlighted the recent elimination of the 10 percent base tariff on Salvadoran textile and other goods entering the United States. This measure is expected to benefit local exporters, who have faced strong competition from Mexico, whose products continue to enter the U.S. market with zero tariffs.
The tariff had been imposed in April 2025 as part of White House reciprocal trade measures affecting El Salvador and about 90 other countries. The latest decision from Washington removes the tax on goods that cannot be cultivated, extracted, or produced in sufficient quantities in the U.S., paired with commitments made by El Salvador.
“What is being announced now is a reciprocal agreement, especially with the textile sector, which is the main export sector to the United States,” Cuéllar explained, noting that it is still unclear which products are excluded from the updated tariff list.
Coexport hopes food items and nostalgic products will be included, given their importance to Salvadoran exporters.
The United States remains El Salvador’s top trading partner, receiving $1.6 billion in Salvadoran goods during the first nine months of the year, representing 31.2 percent of total shipments.