Browse Data and Analysis

Honduras has made no modifications to its existing regulatory framework regarding genetically engineered (GE) crops. As of October 2024, planted area of GE corn in Honduras has increased by 29 percent from the previous year, rising from 52,000 to 67,000 hectares. In 2024, the National Committee on Biotechnology and Biosecurity approved six events.

On October 1, 2019, El Salvador agreed to harmonize the biosafety technical regulation for “modified living organisms” for agricultural use with Guatemala and Honduras and designated the Ministry of Agriculture as the National Competent Authority to provide authorizations and keep registries related to biotechnology.

The National Plant, Animal Health and Food Safety Service (SENASA) is the regulatory agency in Honduras that is responsible for the inspection of all agricultural products that enter the country.

SENASA and ARSA have made significant progress in expediting import procedures with the introduction of online options for requesting import permits and sanitary authorizations of imported raw materials that provide immediate electronic delivery to ports of entry.

This report provides examples of the significant export certificates and other documents required by the government of El Salvador for U.S. exports of food and agricultural products.

Since August 7, 2024, the Superintendence for Sanitary Regulation has been responsible for food and beverage product registration in El Salvador.

In 2023, Honduras’s consumer-oriented imports from the United States reached $553 million, making it the second-largest importer in Central America, after Guatemala.

In 2023, French food and agricultural imports from the United States reached $1 billion. While exporting to France can be challenging, there are many opportunities for U.S. suppliers.

In 2023, U.S. agriculture exports to El Salvador reached $860 million, a slight drop of 12 percent compared to 2022 due mainly to lower wheat and oil seeds imports. However, the consumer-oriented products category saw a promising increase from $349 million to $364 million, marking a 4.4 percent growth.

The total value of U.S. agricultural exports to Honduras in 2023 reached $1.3 billion, with a 39 percent (%) market share, and a 4 % decrease from the previous year.

Honduras coffee production is expected to reach 5.5 million 60-kilogram bags in marketing year 2023/24, a twenty-four percent decrease from the previous year.

El Salvador's coffee production is expected to reach 555,000 sixty-kg-bags in marketing year (MY) 2023/24. The Salvadoran coffee sector continues to be affected by climate vulnerability and an absent long-term strategy.