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El Salvador is the only country in the Northern Triangle region, and the only country in Central America aside from Panama, that runs a trade deficit for agricultural commodities.

During Covid-19, the French government designated the retail sector as essential. Retail companies were authorized to continue operations. The nationwide lockdown and the closing of restaurants gave a significant boost to the retail sector.

With 91 million visitors in 2019, France is one of the world’s leading tourist destinations. Tourism accounted for 7.5 percent of GDP, providing employment to 1.5 million people. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the flow of visitors by almost 55 percent, triggering a loss of nearly 160,000 jobs. The Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional (HRI) sector saw a decrease in total sales revenue to $64 billion, a 30 percent decline from the previous year.

As a member of the European Union, France implements EU regulations for the import of animal and plant products. The US export certification requirements for most products are harmonized at the EU level; however, a few products, which are not yet harmonized across the EU, are still subject to French national regulations.

El Salvador’s imports of agricultural products from the United States experienced an outstanding rebound of 31% during 2021, reaching a total of $828 million. A constant influx of remittances and the gradual recovery of the hotel/restaurant sector have been determining factors contributing to a higher demand for imported foods.

France, as a member of the European Union (EU), generally follows EU directives, regulations, and obligations. This report focuses on food laws in force in France that cover areas which are not EU harmonized. EU regulations are explained in the Food...

The French livestock industry depends on imported genetically engineered (GE) feed, especially soybean, rapeseed, and corn. However, France has no commercial production or field trials of GE crops. While most French scientists and farmers are generally supportive of biotechnology, consumer attitudes toward GE are primarily negative.

On January 24, 2022 the French State Council provisionally overruled the December 2021 ministerial order banning the sale of raw CBD hemp flowers and leaves. The court noted that the flowers and leaves of cannabis sativa L. with a THC content of less than 0.3 percent were “devoid of narcotic properties” and could therefore be marketed in France.

There is no legal impediment to the use of biotechnology in El Salvador. Genetically engineered (GE) corn field trials were successfully completed. Also, the Ministry of Environment completed the regulatory framework for the safe use and commercialization of GE products. A new government administration that took office in June 2019, has shown interest in biotechnology and how it can help advance agricultural competitiveness in El Salvador.

In El Salvador there is no specific food law. However, the Ministry of Health’s (MINSAL) Health Code is used to enforce food safety for all food and beverage products. MINSAL is in charge of food and beverage product registration.

This report provides examples for the major export certificates and other documents required by the government of El Salvador for U.S. exports of food and agricultural products. Please note, El Salvador’s import requirements change frequently, and are often subject to discretionary decisions at the point of entry.

The Salvadoran HRI sector is having a better performance in 2022 as the tourism sector is recovering. Euromonitor reports that Salvadorans spent about $2.1 billion in the Hotels/Catering category during 2021. According to recent reports by the Ministry of Tourism, El Salvador received 1.1 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2022, representing a 92 percent recovery compared to the same period in 2019.