Textile and clothing exports are about 30.6 per cent of El Salvador’s total exports. The country’s textile exports are expected to grow further in 2020. Growth in export of value-added products such as jackets and socks made of synthetics are among the items that position El Salvador’s textile industry as one of the most competitive in the region. The main destinations for Salvadoran exports are the United States, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Canada, the Dominican Republic and Belgium.

Many buyers who import clothing and textile products into the United States do so from China. The fact that tariffs have been applied to some Chinese textile products destined for the American market represents an opportunity for Salvadoran exporters. The most frequently exported Salvadoran textile products to the US are cotton T-shirts, men’s and boy’s undergarments synthetic fiber socks and T-shirts, and cotton sweaters and pullovers. Additional Salvadoran exports of textiles to the United States include women’s bras, synthetic fiber trousers for men and for boys, as well as synthetic fiber shorts for women and girls and cotton socks.

El Salvador has a free trade agreement with South Korea. This represents a great opportunity for further exports of textile goods to the Asian nation and also creates incentives for South Korean companies to make investments in the Central American nation.