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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, 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.

In 2022, El Salvador imported $973 million of agricultural products from the United States, out of which about $283 million were consumer oriented.

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.

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. Animal based...

The Salvadoran Hotel and Restaurant sectors continue to improve their performance in 2022 as the tourism sector shows a full recovery.

U.S. Consumer Oriented products continue to feature prominently in Salvadoran retail outlets, registering a new record-high of $281.5 million of imports in 2022.

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.

This report should be read in conjunction with the EU-27 Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) report written by the U.S. Mission to the EU. This report focuses on the import regulations and standards that are not harmonized at the EU-level or where Belgium varies.

Belgium is a Member State of the European Union (EU) and applies the certification requirements described in the European Union Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) Certification Report. Products not yet harmonized are subject to Belgian national rules.

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.