El Salvador’s exports amounted to $3,160.3 million up to May 2022, reporting an inter-annual growth of 17 %, equivalent to $459.6 million more than the same period of the previous year, informed the Central Reserve Bank (BCR).
The manufacturing industry, including maquila, exported $2,997 million, exceeding by $402.6 million the same period of 2021 with a growth of 15.5 %.
The main sectors of the industry were: maquila with $609.2 million ($87.8 additional), apparel with $531.4 million ($24.4 million more), food products with $447.3 million ($15.4 million additional), textile products with $254.5 million ($49.6 million more) and rubber and plastic products with $240.3 million ($75.1 million more).
The main maquiladora products were clothing with $404.2 million (12.1 % growth) and electronic capacitors with $112.4 million, growing 16.3 %, equivalent to an additional $15.7 million.
On the other hand, exports to the United States totaled $1,212.6 million, equivalent to 38.4% of the total, followed by Central American countries with 44.9%, or $1,419.6 million, with an additional contribution of $249.8 million.
The main Central American partner was Guatemala with $539.4 million, followed by Honduras with $524.3 million.
Foreign demand for Salvadoran goods was centered on T-shirts and knitted T-shirts ($351.6 million), sweaters, pullovers and similar ($201.8 million), coffee, even roasted or decaffeinated and coffee substitutes ($117.3 million) and cane sugar ($117.1 million).
In another scenario, imports amounted to $7,342.1 million as of May, higher by $1,591.8 million when compared to the same period of 2021, that is, they grew 27.7%; in volume, the growth was 3%.
The main countries of origin of the goods purchased were: the United States with $2,119.1 million (35.9 % more), the People’s Republic of China with $1,226.9 million (29.8 % more), Guatemala with $787.5 million (23.3 %), Mexico with $584.0 million (23.8 % increase) and Honduras with $440.3 million (higher by 20.3 %).
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