Coffee and Sugar in El Salvador
The two crops in figures
| Measure | Coffee | Sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest, 2025–26 | 964,017 quintals of coffee (oro uva), ISC; 586,000 bags of 60 kg, USDA estimate | About 780,000 tonnes, Sugar Association; 705,000 tonnes, USDA estimate |
| Exports, 2025–26 | 607,908 quintals worth USD 196.05 million, ISC | 430,000 tonnes, USDA estimate |
| Forecast for 2026–27 | 542,000 bags, down 7.5%, because of El Niño | 719,000 tonnes, up 2% |
| Area | About 118,000 hectares harvested (USDA); 74,019 hectares planted (Spanish agriculture ministry) | 79,000 hectares planted (USDA); 72,869 hectares (Spanish agriculture ministry) |
| Home consumption | 332,000 bags, mostly imported soluble coffee | 283,000 tonnes |
| Main buyers | United States, Belgium, Canada, Italy, Germany | United States, China, Taiwan, Haiti, Spain |
Source: ABC Color (EFE): Salvadoran coffee export income grew 12% at the close of the 2025–2026 cycle, 5 November 2026; Infobae: favourable projections boost the sugar sector in 2026; Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: El Salvador agri-food sector sheet, July 2026 (PDF, in Spanish); USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: El Salvador Coffee Annual, report ES2026-0004, 20 April 2026; USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: El Salvador Sugar Annual, report ES2026-0003, 13 April 20261,2,4,6,7
The ISC and the Sugar Association count the harvest as it comes in; the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates a marketing year from October to September, in its own units, and published its figures in April 2026. That is why the two sets of numbers differ.
Coffee: income up, volume flat
In the 2025–26 cycle El Salvador exported 607,908 quintals of green coffee from a harvest of 964,017 quintals. Green coffee brought in more than USD 189.57 million, soluble coffee USD 4.13 million and roasted coffee USD 2.33 million. Income rose from USD 175.04 million the cycle before, almost all of it from price: on our calculation from the ISC figures, the average export price rose from about USD 289 to about USD 323 a quintal.1
By region, North America bought 64% of the volume, Europe 16.9%, Asia 5.4% and the Middle East 3.8%, according to the ISC. By country, USDA estimates the United States took about half of the exports, ahead of Belgium, Canada, Italy, Germany and Japan, with the United Kingdom and Australia buying more each year.1,6
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: El Salvador Coffee Annual, report ES2026-0004, 20 April 20266
Why coffee output stays low
Coffee made up about 90% of exports in the 1920s and 1930s and is still the main agricultural export. Coffee rust and the climate have kept production at historic lows since the 2013–14 cycle. USDA puts the national yield at 4.97 bags a hectare in 2025–26, and lists the reasons:1,4,6
- Old trees: many coffee trees are over 25 years old. The Salvadoran Coffee Association estimates that about 30 million rust-resistant plants a year are needed for ten years to renew the farms.
- Labour: workers have left rural areas for construction jobs in the cities, so pruning, weeding and picking are hard to staff.
- Credit: private banks see coffee farming as high-risk, and government seedlings and loans reach mainly small farmers, who hold about 15% of the coffee area.
- Costs: mills charge around USD 100 per hundredweight to prepare coffee for export, and about 35% of farmers are abandoning their farms.
- Weather: heavy rain in December 2025 knocked ripe berries off the trees, and El Niño is expected to cut the 2026–27 crop.
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: El Salvador Coffee Annual, report ES2026-0004, 20 April 20266
| Coffee year | Jobs in the coffee sector |
|---|---|
| 2021–22 | 46,102 |
| 2022–23 | 43,928 |
| 2023–24 | 44,666 |
| 2024–25 | 42,927 |
| 2025–26 | 42,099 |
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: El Salvador Coffee Annual, report ES2026-0004, 20 April 20266
Specialty coffee and the Cup of Excellence
A small but growing group of farms sells micro-lots (5 to 100 bags) and nano-lots (under 5 bags) of Pacamara, Geisha, Bourbon and other varieties to buyers in the United States, Europe and Asia. The ISC and six coffee regions have registered geographical indications, and certified coffee usually sells for more; through the Starbucks Café Practices programme, farmers can sell about USD 50 above the New York C price.6
The 2026 El Salvador Cup of Excellence had three categories: washed and honey, natural, and experimental. Coffees that score 87 points or more after at least five cupping sessions are sold at an online auction, held on 2 July 2026. The top price was USD 55.20 a pound, for a Geisha with natural anaerobic processing from the San Andrés farm, which scored 90.55.10
How coffee is exported
Every exporter, mill, roaster and intermediary must be registered with the ISC, and each export needs an ISC permit. The steps are set out in the 2024 regulations of the coffee law and in the CIEX guide for the export permit:8,9
| Step | What happens | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Register with the ISC | Company papers, tax numbers (NIT and IVA), brand registration and installed capacity; the ISC issues a code and a card | Before the first export |
| 2. Register the sales contract | A copy of each foreign sales contract, with buyer, weight, quality, price and payment terms | Within 3 working days of signing and fixing the price |
| 3. Pre-authorisation | The ISC checks that the exporter has enough registered coffee and that taxes are paid | Valid for 60 days |
| 4. Export permit | Requested once the shipment date and customs office are known; issued with the certificate of origin and the carta de resguardo through the CIEX online system (SFCE) | ISC replies within 2 working days; the permit lapses after 60 days |
Source: Executive Decree No. 9 of 12 July 2024: regulations of the Special Law on the Marketing, Registration and Protection of Coffee (PDF, in Spanish); CIEX El Salvador: user guide for the coffee export permit in the SFCE, July 2025 (PDF, in Spanish)8,9
Sugar: harvest, buyers and the US quota
The Sugar Association reports a 2025–26 harvest of about 780,000 tonnes, up 13% to 14%. From January to April 2026 El Salvador exported 326.3 million kilograms of sugar worth USD 124.8 million, and the association expects more than 500,000 tonnes of exports in 2026, worth USD 225 million to USD 250 million. Sugar and coffee were the fourth and sixth export products from January to September 2026.2,3
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: El Salvador Sugar Annual, report ES2026-0003, 13 April 20267
El Salvador has a World Trade Organization quota that lets 27,971 tonnes of its sugar into the United States duty-free from October 2025 to September 2026. Taiwan, which lost its free trade agreement with El Salvador in 2018, returned as a buyer in 2025–26, and USDA expects more sales to China.7
Sugar rules: tariffs, prices and fortification
- Regulator: the sugar law is overseen by CONSAA, whose board has government, grower and mill members; all sugar sold locally must carry a CONSAA safety seal.
- Grower prices: payment depends on the sugar content of the cane; growers receive 54.5% to 56.0% of sugar sales revenue and the mills the rest.
- Import tariff: 40% on all sugar, with a bound rate of 70%; a temporary zero duty has applied since July 2024 and runs until March 2034, but no sugar has been imported under it.
- Vitamin A: all sugar sold in El Salvador must be fortified with vitamin A.
- Ethanol: a law on fuel ethanol, discussed with a 10% blend in petrol, has been stalled since it was drafted in 2009.
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: El Salvador Sugar Annual, report ES2026-0003, 13 April 20267
Energy is one of the ways the sugar industry is diversifying, according to USDA. Biomass produced 6.93% of the electricity generated in El Salvador in 2025; the energy page has the full power mix.5,7
Frequently Asked Questions
How much coffee does El Salvador export?
Coffee exports brought in more than USD 196.05 million from October 2025 to September 2026, up 12% on the cycle before, while volume rose only 0.33% to 607,908 quintals, according to the Salvadoran Coffee Institute (ISC). Green coffee made up USD 189.57 million of the total.
Who buys Salvadoran coffee?
North America bought 64% of the volume in 2025-26, Europe 16.9%, Asia 5.4% and the Middle East 3.8%, according to the ISC. By country, the US Department of Agriculture estimates the United States took about half, followed by Belgium, Canada, Italy, Germany and Japan.
Why is coffee production lower than in the past?
Coffee rust and the climate have kept production low since 2013-14. The US Department of Agriculture also points to old trees, a shortage of farm workers, little bank credit for coffee farms and high milling costs, and puts the national yield at 4.97 bags of 60 kg a hectare in 2025-26.
How do I export coffee from El Salvador?
Register as an exporter with the ISC, register each foreign sales contract within 3 working days of signing it, get the ISC pre-authorisation, which is valid for 60 days, and then request the export permit, certificate of origin and carta de resguardo through the CIEX online system. The permit lapses if the coffee is not shipped within 60 days.
What is the Cup of Excellence?
It is an annual competition and online auction run with the Alliance for Coffee Excellence. In 2026 coffees scoring 87 points or more were sold on 2 July, and the top lot, a Geisha from the San Andrés farm scoring 90.55, sold for USD 55.20 a pound.
How large is the sugar harvest?
The Sugar Association of El Salvador reports about 780,000 tonnes for the 2025-26 harvest, up 13% to 14%. The US Department of Agriculture, which counts a marketing year from October to September, estimated 705,000 tonnes in April 2026 and forecasts 719,000 tonnes for 2026-27.
Where does Salvadoran sugar go?
The United States, China, Taiwan and Haiti are the main buyers, followed by Spain, South Korea and Peru. A World Trade Organization quota lets 27,971 tonnes into the United States duty-free from October 2025 to September 2026.
Can sugar be imported into El Salvador?
The normal tariff is 40%. A temporary zero duty has applied since July 2024 and runs until March 2034, but no sugar has been imported under it, and all sugar sold in El Salvador must be fortified with vitamin A and carry a CONSAA safety seal.
Sources
- ABC Color (EFE): Salvadoran coffee export income grew 12% at the close of the 2025–2026 cycle, 5 November 2026 (in Spanish)
- Infobae: favourable projections boost the sugar sector in 2026 (in Spanish)
- Central Reserve Bank: foreign trade statistics (in Spanish)
- Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: El Salvador agri-food sector sheet, July 2026 (PDF, in Spanish)
- Infobae: El Salvador changed its electricity mix in 2025 (in Spanish)
- USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: El Salvador Coffee Annual, report ES2026-0004, 20 April 2026 (PDF)
- USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: El Salvador Sugar Annual, report ES2026-0003, 13 April 2026 (PDF)
- Executive Decree No. 9 of 12 July 2024: regulations of the Special Law on the Marketing, Registration and Protection of Coffee (PDF, in Spanish)
- CIEX El Salvador: user guide for the coffee export permit in the SFCE, July 2025 (PDF, in Spanish)
- Alliance for Coffee Excellence: El Salvador Cup of Excellence 2026 results and auction
Figures checked 10 November 2026. Prepared by InvestSalvador.com for general information. It is not investment, tax or legal advice; please confirm details with a qualified adviser before acting.
