Browse Data and Analysis

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.

In 2021, exports of U.S. agricultural and related products to Mexico totaled $25.5 billion. In spite of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and logistical challenges, Mexico remained one of the most consistent markets for U.S. food and agricultural exports, especially for foodservice products. Mexico continued to maintain its open-door policy and welcomed 31.8 million international tourists in 2021, which boosted its hotel, restaurant and institutional (HRI) industries following a sharp decline in 2020.

Brazil’s Marketing Year (MY) 2022/23 sugarcane crop is estimated at 621 million metric tons (MMT), an increase of eight percent compared to the final estimate for MY 2021/22 (576 MMT), supported by better weather conditions vis-à-vis the previous year. Sugar prices remain attractive and sugar-ethanol plants have focused on sugar production as opposed to ethanol. Brazilian exports for MY 2022/23 are estimated at 28.2 MMT, raw value, an increase of 2.25 MMT relative to the previous season.

For Marketing Year October 2022/September 2023 (MY 2022/23), Post forecasts overall sugar production in the Dominican Republic (DR) to increase to 630,000 metric tons (MT) due to favorable weather conditions. During MY 2021/22, total sugar production reached 625,391 MT, a 2 percent increase from MY 2020/21 due to favorable rainfall patterns that improved agricultural yields.

For 2022, robust tourism demand will be a key driver for economic growth in the Dominican Republic (DR). The World Tourism Organization recognized the Caribbean nation as its top-ranked country after its rapid recovery in tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, consumer food-services sales grew by 42.5 percent, reaching $3.5 billion. In mid-2021, pandemic restrictions began to relax, and restaurants reopened to the public. The Chilean Central Bank estimates a two percent GDP growth in 2022 and a one percent GDP decrease in 2023.

This report gives an overview of the food service – hotel, restaurant, and institutional sectors in Honduras and outlines current market trends, including best product prospects. In general, Hondurans like to dine out, both for convenience (mainly people working outside of the home) and on the weekends with family.

The HRI report provides U.S. agricultural exporters current information on market trends and the best product prospects for the Guatemalan market.

On October 3, 2022, the Office of the President of Mexico announced the Opening Agreement against Inflation and Scarcity (APECIC) between the Government of Mexico and fifteen private companies, aimed at combatting food price inflation. The agreement extends through February 2023 and pledges to reduce the prices of 24 basic goods (mostly food items) by eight percent.

The Ministry of Health issued three updates this year: a) Presidential Decree 53-2022 establishes new fees for services as of March 1, 2022 b) Technical Norm 001-2022 provides regulations for food supplements, and c) Communication dated June 1, 2022 establishes guidance for sampling processed food products in Guatemala as part of the routine surveillance.

This report contains the list of all the mandatory export certificates required by the Government of Guatemala for agricultural imports. This report has no changes from its 2021 version.