El Salvador’s exports grow rapidly in April 2021.
Salvadoran exports continue to rise, reaching US $ 2,145.1 million between January and April 2021; This amount is higher by US $ 463.1 million compared to the same period of 2020, which is equivalent to a year-on-year growth of 27.5%.
Foreign sales corresponding to the month of April 2021 alone totaled US $ 544.1 million, growing 138.7% compared to April 2020, when the country was fully facing the effects of the pandemic and confinement. When comparing the result of April 2021 with that of the same month of 2019, that is, in a period without the effects of a pandemic, a growth of 16.7% is observed. With these results, April 2021 becomes the fifth month with the highest exported values in the history of the country and the 25th month to have exceeded the border of US $ 500 million per month.
Of the 32 exporting economic sectors, 28 closed with positive growth rates and contributed an additional US $ 473.4 million to commercial activity abroad. The maquila (US $ 149.8 million), the manufacture of clothing (US $ 118.3 million), the manufacture of textiles (US $ 48.3 million), the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products (US $ 22.9 million), the manufacture of metals stood out. commons (US $ 20.6 million), among others.
The external demand for Salvadoran goods as of April 2021 was concentrated in the United States with US $ 866.4 million, Guatemala (US $ 362.7 million), Honduras (US $ 326.4 million), Nicaragua (US $ 146.8 million) and Costa Rica (US $ 85 million) , which as a whole represented 83.3% of the total exported in the period. Additionally, of the first 50 countries that bought products from El Salvador, 32 increased their purchases for a total of US $ 537.7 million, with the United States standing out with US $ 252.7 million additional to what was demanded in 2020, Guatemala with US $ 96.8 million more, Honduras ( $ 82.4 million) and Nicaragua (US $ 25.8 million), among others.
The main products that the country has exported are T-shirts and knitted shirts (US $ 249.6 million), sweaters and the like (US $ 135.4 million), cane sugar (US $ 112.7 million), plastic packaging ( US $ 79.9 million) and electric capacitors (US $ 76.6 million); This group of products represented 30.5% of the total, that is, US $ 654.3 million.
The maquila sector substantially improved its exports by 56.3%, with an additional US $ 149.8 million. Knitted and non-knitted garments stand out with US $ 287.7 million (53.5% growth) and electronic components (chips) with US $ 76.6 million (78.2% growth).
Imports accumulated US $ 4,572.2 million as of April 2021, higher by US $ 1,188.2 million, equivalent to a growth of 35.1%. The main countries supplying goods to El Salvador were: the US with US $ 1,225.2 million, the People’s Republic of China (US $ 770.1 million), Guatemala (US $ 503.1 million), Mexico (US $ 375.9 million) and Honduras (US $ 290.1 million) ; These represent 69.2% of the total imported, that is, US $ 3,164.5 million.
The largest increase in imports to our country corresponds to the People’s Republic of China with US $ 317.4 million (70.1% more), followed by the US with US $ 240.5 million (24.4%), Guatemala with US $ 113 million (29% ), Spain (US $ 89.5 million), Mexico (US $ 83.9 million) and Honduras (US $ 82.1 million); This group of countries represents 72.2% of the total of El Salvador’s trade partners in terms of imports.
Imports of consumer goods grew 31% with an additional US $ 415.1 million, accumulating US $ 1,755.8 million; Imports of intermediate goods increased by 31.3% (equivalent to US $ 422.8 million), accumulating US $ 1,772.3 million and imports of capital goods grew 51.1%, increasing US $ 274.4 million and amounting to US $ 811.4 million.
The import of information and communication technology (ICT) goods grew 77%, that is, an additional US $ 130.2 million; The largest increase was in computers and peripherals with US $ 68.4 million and a 163.5% rate, followed by consumer electronic equipment with 97.4% growth (US $ 22.2 million). The main provider of ICT goods was the People’s Republic of China with US $ 197.3 million, followed by Vietnam with US $ 35.2 million and Mexico with US $ 27.2 million, among others.
The oil bill accumulated a value of US $ 523.2 million, an additional US $ 139.6 million and a growth of 36.4%; Gasolines (US $ 174.3 million), diesel (US $ 138.2 million), propane and liquefied gases (US $ 120.2 million) and lubricating oils and greases with US $ 36.3 million stand out in the oil bill.
Finally, the trade balance was –US $ 2,427.2 million, with an increase of US $ 725.1 million.