An increase in non- traditional exports offset the fall in foreign sales of traditional products.
According to the report entitled "Trends in Foreign Trade in 2013 in El Salvador" prepared by the Ministry of Economy (Minec) exports in 2013 totaled $5.491 billion, an increase of 2.8 % compared to 2012, when the total figure was $5.339 billion .
$3.908 billion worth of non-traditional products were exported last year, while in 2012 the figure was $3.765 billion. Exports of traditional products were down $42 million, totaling $424.9 million in 2013.
The sale of synthetic fibers increased by 133% between November 2012 and March 2013.
Statsistics from the Central Reserve Bank (BCR) reveal that between November 2012 and March 2013, exports of synthetic fibers to Europe increased from $1.4 million to $3.4 million, which is 133%.
"In other categories, food products such as honey increased sales by 29.8%, going from $4.3 million to $5.6 million."
Sugar, coffee, fishmeal, plastics and paper products are the best selling products to the Asian island.
According to the Taiwanese Embassy in El Salvador during the first 11 months of 2013, exports from the Central American nation to Asian countries grew by 576 %. Among the products that are exported to Taiwan are sugar, coffee, fish meal, paper, cardboard, plastics.
The Exporters Corporation has created a plan to increase exports to $10 billion a year within five years.
Entrepreneurs believe that if the correct measures are applied export earnings could double within five years. According to Pablo Duran, president of the Exporters Association of El Salvador (COEXPORT), the proposal gives potential annual growth of 20%.
During the first six months of 2013 the textile industry sold $1,140 million, $104 million more compared to the same period in 2012.
"The industry has performed well, and that means more jobs in El Salvador," said Doris de Rivera, an economist in charge of the study by the Chamber of Textile, Clothing and Free Zones Companies(CAMTEX).
According to the economist, the maquila subsector grew by 4% with revenues of $424 million, woven fabrics increased 22% with sales of $134 million and garment production rose by 9%.
In late 2012, one year after the signing of the new trade agreement, trade between Mexico and the region totaled $9.3 billion.
This information was released by the Mexican ambassador in San Salvador, Raul Lopez Lira. "On September 1 the Central American countries will celebrate the first anniversary of the unified treaty between Mexico and the region with a significant increase in trade ...", reported Laprensa.com.ni article.
During the first six months of 2013 foreign sales totaled $2.822 billion, $151 million more than in the same period in 2012.
From a press release issued by the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador:
Total exports to June of this year amounted to $2822.2 million, up $150.6 million compared to the same period in 2012, the growth rate was 5.6% per year, with a gradual recovering its dynamism, informed the Office of Economic Studies and Statistics of the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador.
Exports from the region registered a FOB value of U.S. $2.478 billion, an increase of 5.7% compared to the $2.344 billion exported during the same month last year.
The categories of products that contributed to the performance of exports, classified by Chapter of the Central American Tariff System - SAC - which accounted for 59.9% (U.S. $1484.6 billion) of total exports, were:
Central American countries exported $27.3 billion FOB from January to November 2012, growing by 8.3% compared to the same period in 2011.
From a bulletin by the Secretariat of Central American Economic Integration (SIECA):
CENTRAL AMERICAN EXTERNAL TRADE
Newsletter: January-November 2012
Central America, March 6, 2013. The region's exports were worth U.S.FOB $27.355 billion during the months of January to November 2012, seeing an increase of 8.3% compared to exports recorded in the same period in 2011 (U.S. $25.262 billion).
Exports from the region reached an FOB value of $20 billion during the first eight months of 2012, an increase of 7.3% over the previous year.
This from the executive summary in the January-August 2012 Newsletter of the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIECA):
Exports from the region reached an FOB value of $20.4420 billion during the first eight months of 2012, showing an annual variation of 7.3%, which was lower than the variation of 21.0% recorded in the period January-August 2011 ($19.0533 billion). The product groups that most contributed to the buoyancy in exports accounting for 48.1% in total, as classified by the Central American Tariff System (SAC), were:
Central American exports summed $10.45 billion FOB in the first four months of 2012, a growth rate of 6.8%.
A statement from the Secretariat of Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) reads:
Exports in Central America reached an FOB value of $10,450.9 million during the first four months of 2012, a rate of growth of 6.8% compared to the value of exports in the period January-April 2011 (U.S. $9.7826 billion) .
In the first six months of the year trade between countries in the region increased by 21.8%.
Data from the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIEC in Spanish) shows that total exports across the isthmus in that period amounted to $14,645 million.
"Regarding imports, the region purchased goods and services amounting to $26,159 million in the first half of this year, 22.8% more than in 2010, according to SIEC
El Salvador exported a total of $3245.7 million worth of products between January and July 2011, which is a growth rate of 23.7% compared to the same period last year.
A press release by the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador, quotes a report by the Management of Studies and Economic Statistics of the institution:
Exports of traditional products totaled $486.7 million, which is an increase in sales of 87.3%, driven by increased exports of coffee and sugar. Coffee exports were $380.0 million in the period, or $214.5 million more than last year, thanks to the favorable evolution of prices in international markets, export volumes this year increased by 66.4%. Sugar, meanwhile, increased sales by 13.2% due to continued increases in prices.
In the first quarter, sales between the Central American countries increased by 21.3% compared to the same period in 2010.
Data from the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIEC) shows that Honduras increased by 52% , Costa Rica 24.3%, El Salvador and Guatemala 18%, and Nicaragua 0.6%.
For the same period the total exports from the Isthmus (in worldwide sales) increased by 20.6%, totaling $7,254 million.