Largest market shown
Not reported
$889.5M of latest reported imports and $1.0B of calculated three-year opportunity.
Importer opportunity guide
El Salvador import opportunities
where to source next
Explore El Salvador's import market by product, supplier concentration, demand growth, and sourcing gaps. Use reported market size and calculated indicators to decide where deeper supplier research may be useful.
Latest imports$14.5B2024 reported value
Import CAGR+3.4%Three-year reported change
GDP$35.4BLatest reported value
GDP per capita$5.6KLatest reported value
Trade openness76.9%Reported share of GDP
El Salvador import opportunities
What makes this an attractive import market?
Compare market size and growth with supplier concentration. A large market may still need product, quality, tariff, logistics, and buyer validation.
Current import base
$14.5B in imports
El Salvador recorded $14.5B in imports in 2024, with a three-year change of +3.4%.
How to use the guide
Compare demand with supply
Start with the highest-value products, then review supplier concentration and market conditions before choosing a sourcing route.
Import market overview
Find products where demand and sourcing options meet
This page separates reported import observations from calculated indicators so market size is not mistaken for a guaranteed sourcing opportunity.
El Salvador imports products from suppliers across major trade regions. The current profile reports $14.5B of imports in 2024, while the opportunity view highlights product and supplier combinations where market demand and supply context may justify further research.
Use the opportunity table to compare product market size, demand growth, supplier counts, concentration, and projected imports. High concentration can indicate reliance on a small supplier base; it can also reflect specialized products that require careful validation.
Top import opportunities
Products and supplier context to review
The top 50 screened products are ranked by calculated three-year opportunity. Reported market values and calculated indicators are labeled separately.
| Rank | Product | Market size | Demand growth | Suppliers | Concentration | Top supplier | Projected imports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HS 271019Product description unavailable | $889.5MLatest imports | +9.8% | 59 | 7610 | USADeclining | $1.2B |
| 2 | HS 271012Product description unavailable | $735.3MLatest imports | +9.9% | 17 | 9931 | USADeclining | $976.9M |
| 3 | HS 880240Aeroplanes and other aircraft: of an unladen weight exceeding 15,000kg | $272.4MLatest imports | +8.3% | 6 | 7897 | FRAStable | $345.6M |
| 4 | HS 271112Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, propane | $207.5MLatest imports | +14.7% | 6 | 9295 | USADeclining | $313.0M |
| 5 | HS 851712Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks | $208.2MLatest imports | +15.8% | 48 | 4456 | CHNDeclining | $323.5M |
| 6 | HS 390761Poly(ethylene terephthalate): in primary forms, having a viscosity of 78ml/g or higher | $142.0MLatest imports | +25.7% | 17 | 4699 | CHNDeclining | $277.3M |
| 7 | HS 100590Cereals: maize (corn), other than seed | $186.4MLatest imports | +7.9% | 9 | 5790 | USASlowing | $234.3M |
| 8 | HS 020130Meat: of bovine animals, boneless cuts, fresh or chilled | $126.6MLatest imports | +9.8% | 8 | 9542 | NICDeclining | $167.7M |
| 9 | HS 040630Dairy produce: cheese, processed (not grated or powdered) | $97.6MLatest imports | +18.2% | 5 | 8030 | NICAccelerating | $161.0M |
| 10 | HS 722599Steel, alloy: flat-rolled, width 600mm or more, n.e.s. in heading no. 7225, (other than plated or coated with zinc) | $66.1MLatest imports | +30.6% | 7 | 9746 | KORDeclining | $129.0M |
| 11 | HS 847130Data processing machines: portable, digital and automatic, weighing not more than 10kg, consisting of at least a central processing unit, a keyboard and a display | $96.8MLatest imports | +10.6% | 58 | 7171 | CHNDeclining | $130.9M |
| 12 | HS 550953Yarn: (not sewing thread), of polyester staple fibres, mixed mainly or solely with cotton, not put up for retail sale | $63.4MLatest imports | +24.6% | 13 | 8049 | USADeclining | $122.7M |
| 13 | HS 230400Oil-cake and other solid residues: whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oil | $99.1MLatest imports | +6.4% | 6 | 7807 | USADeclining | $119.5M |
| 14 | HS 271600Electrical energy | $60.3MLatest imports | +21.8% | 7 | 9045 | GTMDeclining | $108.9M |
| 15 | HS 520100Cotton: not carded or combed | $86.0MLatest imports | +4.5% | 4 | 9879 | USADeclining | $98.3M |
| 16 | HS 271111Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, natural gas | $107.9MLatest imports | +16.0% | 5 | 5154 | TTOGrowing | $168.3M |
| 17 | HS 020329Meat: of swine, n.e.s. in item no. 0203.2, frozen | $46.8MLatest imports | +23.7% | 5 | 9951 | USADeclining | $88.7M |
| 18 | HS 210690Food preparations: n.e.s. in item no. 2106.10 | $228.4MLatest imports | +9.5% | 64 | 1864 | CRIDeclining | $299.8M |
| 19 | HS 071333Vegetables, leguminous: kidney beans, including white pea beans (phaseolus vulgaris), shelled, whether or not skinned or split, dried | $50.7MLatest imports | +28.1% | 16 | 6923 | NICDeclining | $99.1M |
| 20 | HS 870421Vehicles: compression-ignition internal combustion piston engine (diesel or semi-diesel), for transport of goods, (of a gvw not exceeding 5 tonnes), n.e.c. in item no 8704.1 | $244.6MLatest imports | +7.0% | 26 | 1929 | THADeclining | $299.7M |
| 21 | HS 470329Wood pulp: chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphate, (other than dissolving grades), semi-bleached or bleached, of non-coniferous wood | $36.0MLatest imports | +24.8% | 2 | 9622 | BRAAccelerating | $70.0M |
| 22 | HS 151190Vegetable oils: palm oil and its fractions, other than crude, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified | $91.9MLatest imports | +9.2% | 10 | 4789 | HNDDeclining | $119.8M |
| 23 | HS 271119Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, n.e.c. in heading no. 2711 | $43.3MLatest imports | +17.4% | 4 | 9160 | USADeclining | $70.0M |
| 24 | HS 630900Clothing: worn, and other worn articles | $49.6MLatest imports | +10.9% | 40 | 9252 | USADeclining | $67.6M |
| 25 | HS 520512Cotton yarn: (not sewing thread), single, of uncombed fibres, 85% or more by weight of cotton, less than 714.29 but not less than 232.56 decitex (exceeding 14 but not exceeding 43 metric number), not for retail sale | $44.3MLatest imports | +22.0% | 12 | 6681 | USADeclining | $80.5M |
| 26 | HS 300490Medicaments: consisting of mixed or unmixed products n.e.s. in heading no. 3004, for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, packaged for retail sale | $297.1MLatest imports | +6.7% | 65 | 840 | GTMDeclining | $361.3M |
| 27 | HS 871120Motorcycles (including mopeds) and cycles: fitted with an auxiliary motor, reciprocating internal combustion piston engine, of cylinder capacity exceeding 50cc but not exceeding 250cc, with or without side-cars: side-cars | $71.8MLatest imports | +12.6% | 17 | 5034 | CHNStable | $102.4M |
| 28 | HS 080440Fruit, edible: avocados, fresh or dried | $40.1MLatest imports | +14.9% | 7 | 9375 | MEXGrowing | $60.9M |
| 29 | HS 880330Aircraft and spacecraft: parts of aeroplanes or helicopters n.e.c. in heading no. 8803 | $47.2MLatest imports | +13.0% | 27 | 6979 | USADeclining | $68.2M |
| 30 | HS 721049Iron or non-alloy steel: flat-rolled, width 600mm or more, (not corrugated), plated or coated with zinc (not electrolytically) | $59.5MLatest imports | +11.6% | 10 | 4813 | CHNDeclining | $82.8M |
| 31 | HS 851762Communication apparatus (excluding telephone sets or base stations): machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, images or other data, including switching and routing apparatus | $74.8MLatest imports | +7.8% | 65 | 3797 | CHNDeclining | $93.7M |
| 32 | HS 870323Vehicles: spark-ignition internal combustion reciprocating piston engine, cylinder capacity exceeding 1500cc but not exceeding 3000cc | $152.6MLatest imports | +3.6% | 34 | 2234 | USASlowing | $169.4M |
| 33 | HS 880211Helicopters: of an unladen weight not exceeding 2000kg | $40.0MLatest imports | +9.8% | 5 | 9995 | USAGrowing | $53.0M |
| 34 | HS 040690Dairy produce: cheese (not grated, powdered or processed), n.e.c. in heading no. 0406 | $57.0MLatest imports | +11.5% | 14 | 4904 | NICDeclining | $79.0M |
| 35 | HS 151790Edible mixtures or preparations of animal or vegetable fats or oils or of fractions of different fats or oils of this chapter, other than edible fats or oils of heading no. 1516 | $55.1MLatest imports | +18.6% | 15 | 4196 | GTMDeclining | $91.9M |
| 36 | HS 190590Food preparations: bakers' wares n.e.c. in heading no. 1605, whether or not containing cocoa: communion wafers, empty cachets suitable for pharmaceutical use, sealing wafers, rice papers and similar products | $66.6MLatest imports | +14.6% | 42 | 3154 | GTMDeclining | $100.3M |
| 37 | HS 761290Aluminium: casks, drums, cans, boxes and the like for any material (not compressed or liquefied gas), 300l capacity or less, whether or not lined or heat-insulated, no mechanical or thermal equipment | $40.4MLatest imports | +8.6% | 20 | 9519 | GTMDeclining | $51.8M |
| 38 | HS 721061Iron or non-alloy steel: flat-rolled, width 600mm or more, plated or coated with aluminium zinc-alloys | $44.0MLatest imports | +17.5% | 9 | 5157 | CHNDeclining | $71.3M |
| 39 | HS 852872Reception apparatus for television, whether or not incorporating radio-broadcast receivers or sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus: incorporating a colour video display or screen | $58.2MLatest imports | +9.0% | 25 | 5169 | MEXDeclining | $75.4M |
| 40 | HS 220299Non-alcoholic beverages: other than non-alcoholic beer, n.e.c. in item no. 2202.10, not including fruit, nut or vegetable juices of heading no. 2009 | $68.7MLatest imports | +19.3% | 29 | 2609 | GTMGrowing | $116.5M |
| 41 | HS 720610Iron or non-alloy steel: ingots (excluding iron of heading no. 7203) | $30.8MLatest imports | +12.6% | 2 | 9762 | IDNSlowing | $44.0M |
| 42 | HS 020230Meat: of bovine animals, boneless cuts, frozen | $65.7MLatest imports | +26.3% | 9 | 2260 | CRIDeclining | $128.3M |
| 43 | HS 340220Washing and cleaning preparations: surface-active, whether or not containing soap (excluding those of heading no. 3401), put up for retail sale | $43.3MLatest imports | +12.1% | 32 | 5167 | GTMDeclining | $61.0M |
| 44 | HS 610711Underpants and briefs: men's or boys', of cotton, knitted or crocheted | $23.1MLatest imports | +22.4% | 28 | 8749 | HNDDeclining | $42.4M |
| 45 | HS 722592Steel, alloy: flat-rolled, width 600mm or more, n.e.s. in heading no. 7225, plated or coated with zinc (other than electrolytically) | $21.1MLatest imports | +72.1% | 4 | 8838 | KORAccelerating | $41.2M |
| 46 | HS 100199Cereals: wheat and meslin, other than durum wheat, other than seed | $67.6MLatest imports | +3.2% | 4 | 4973 | USAStable | $74.3M |
| 47 | HS 950300Tricycles, scooters, pedal cars and similar wheeled toys: dolls' carriages: dolls: other toys: reduced-size (scale) models and similar recreational models, working or not: puzzles of all kinds | $40.7MLatest imports | +6.7% | 64 | 5979 | CHNDeclining | $49.4M |
| 48 | HS 100610Cereals: rice in the husk (paddy or rough) | $30.6MLatest imports | +6.7% | 3 | 9986 | USADeclining | $37.1M |
| 49 | HS 160232Meat preparations: of the poultry of heading no. 0105, (i.e. of fowls of the species Gallus domesticus) | $23.9MLatest imports | +20.9% | 4 | 7735 | GTMDeclining | $42.4M |
| 50 | HS 340119Soap and organic surface-active products: in the form of bars, cakes, moulded shapes, and paper, wadding, felt and nonwovens, impregnated, coated or covered with soap or detergent, not for toilet use | $48.4MLatest imports | +6.7% | 19 | 4913 | HNDDeclining | $58.7M |
Showing the five highest-ranked products on mobile. View the complete import opportunity data.
Product sectors
Which sectors carry the most demand?
HS2 sectors group the screened products into broader families for an easier first comparison.
| Sector | Products | Market size | Opportunity | Average growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HS2 sector 00HS2 00 | 2 | $1.6B | $2.0B | +9.8% |
| Mineral fuelsHS2 27 | 4 | $419.1M | $562.0M | +17.4% |
| AircraftHS2 88 | 3 | $359.7M | $413.3M | +10.4% |
| Iron and steelHS2 72 | 5 | $221.4M | $315.2M | +28.9% |
| Electrical equipmentHS2 85 | 3 | $341.2M | $298.9M | +10.9% |
| Meat and edible meat offalHS2 02 | 3 | $239.1M | $295.6M | +20.0% |
| CerealsHS2 10 | 3 | $284.6M | $244.9M | +6.0% |
| Dairy produce and eggsHS2 04 | 2 | $154.6M | $196.1M | +14.8% |
| VehiclesHS2 87 | 3 | $469.0M | $194.4M | +7.7% |
| PlasticsHS2 39 | 1 | $142.0M | $185.3M | +25.7% |
| CottonHS2 52 | 2 | $130.3M | $162.3M | +13.3% |
| Animal and vegetable fatsHS2 15 | 2 | $147.0M | $118.8M | +13.9% |
Supply gaps
Where supplier concentration deserves attention
The concentration index helps identify products where reported imports rely more heavily on a smaller supplier base. It is a screening signal, not a recommendation by itself.
| Product | Market size | Suppliers | Concentration | Top supplier | Share gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HS 880211Helicopters: of an unladen weight not exceeding 2000kg | $40.0M | 5 | 9995 | USA | 100.0% |
| HS 100610Cereals: rice in the husk (paddy or rough) | $30.6M | 3 | 9986 | USA | 99.9% |
| HS 020329Meat: of swine, n.e.s. in item no. 0203.2, frozen | $46.8M | 5 | 9951 | USA | 99.8% |
| HS 271012Product description unavailable | $735.3M | 17 | 9931 | USA | 99.7% |
| HS 520100Cotton: not carded or combed | $86.0M | 4 | 9879 | USA | 99.4% |
| HS 720610Iron or non-alloy steel: ingots (excluding iron of heading no. 7203) | $30.8M | 2 | 9762 | IDN | 98.8% |
| HS 722599Steel, alloy: flat-rolled, width 600mm or more, n.e.s. in heading no. 7225, (other than plated or coated with zinc) | $66.1M | 7 | 9746 | KOR | 98.7% |
| HS 470329Wood pulp: chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphate, (other than dissolving grades), semi-bleached or bleached, of non-coniferous wood | $36.0M | 2 | 9622 | BRA | 98.1% |
Supplier landscape
Which supplier markets appear most often?
These supplier names come from the leading peer signal in the screened opportunity rows and should be validated at product level.
USA
USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands
16 screened products
$3.3BCalculated opportunity across these rowsCHN
China
8 screened products
$750.5MCalculated opportunity across these rowsGTM
Guatemala
8 screened products
$446.8MCalculated opportunity across these rowsNIC
Nicaragua
4 screened products
$441.7MCalculated opportunity across these rowsFRA
France
1 screened products
$304.4MCalculated opportunity across these rowsKOR
Republic of Korea
2 screened products
$166.0MCalculated opportunity across these rowsHND
Honduras
3 screened products
$143.4MCalculated opportunity across these rowsCRI
Costa Rica
2 screened products
$130.1MCalculated opportunity across these rowsFrequently asked questions
Using the El Salvador import opportunity index
Definitions and practical guidance for interpreting market size, growth, suppliers, and concentration.
What are the import opportunities?
They are product and supplier combinations in El Salvador's screened import market with substantial reported demand and calculated opportunity indicators. They are research priorities, not guaranteed savings or supply contracts.
What does supplier concentration mean?
The concentration index indicates how much reported imports rely on a smaller supplier base. A high value can suggest supply dependence, but it can also reflect specialized products or limited reporting.
How should sourcing teams use this page?
Start with products that fit your specification and volume needs, then validate suppliers, tariffs, standards, logistics, pricing, and continuity for El Salvador.
Data source
OECD trade statistics with CEPII context
OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-30). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.