What is the value of US trade with Nicaragua?
Updates published annually
$5.2 billion in imports and $3.48 billion in exports in 2024. That means that the US imported $1.72 billion more from Nicaragua than we exported to it. Benefits of trade can include higher wages and job growth, a wider variety of products available at lower prices, increased productivity, and more efficient resource allocation.
$5.2B
Value of imports from Nicaragua to the US (2024)
$3.48B
Value of exports from the US to Nicaragua (2024)
Exports are goods and services the US sells to other countries. Imports are goods and services the US buys from other countries. Combining the value of imports and exports shows us how much trade happens between the US and other countries.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) provides data for 71 of the US' trading partners (though not necessarily the top 71 trading partners). The partners they track accounted for 94.3% of total trade with the US in 2024.
BEA data ranks Nicaragua as the US’ 57th top trading partner: In 2024, the US traded $8.67 billion in goods and services with Nicaragua. Countries with similar trade values include Morocco ($9.26B) and Jordan ($7.39B).
In 2024, the US traded $8.67 billion in goods and services with Nicaragua.
Total trade value (imports + exports) with the US (2024), by select countries
Another way to look at international trade is through trade balance. A nation that imports more than it exports, has a trade deficit. One that exports more than it imports has a trade surplus. Neither is inherently good or bad; trade balance is just a metric that shows the relationship between imports and exports.
The US has had a trade deficit with Nicaragua every year from 1999 through 2024. The 2024 deficit was $1.72 billion, a decrease from 2023's deficit of $2.27 billion.
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The trade deficit with Nicaragua increased to $1.72B in 2024.
Annual trade balance with Nicaragua, not adjusted for inflation
In 2024, 89.3% of imports from Nicaragua to the US were goods. The largest category was consumer goods (goods and services purchased by individuals for personal use, like clothing and cellphones), accounting for $2.37 billion. The top three imports were consumer goods, food, feeds, and beverages, and automotive vehicles and parts. These categories accounted for $3.97 billion of total imports.
The other 10.7% were services, with travel being the largest service category. Travel (money leaving the US by Americans spending on things like lodging, meals, transportation, and entertainment abroad) accounted for $414 million.
Consumer goods made up 45.6% of US imports from Nicaragua in 2024.
US imports from Nicaragua by category (2024)
In 2024, more US exports to Nicaragua were goods — 79.1%. The largest export was industrial supplies and materials (items used up in the production process, like oil, chemicals, and plastic), which accounted for a value of $1.33 billion. The top three exports were industrial supplies and materials, consumer goods, and food, feeds, and beverages. These categories accounted for $2.28 billion of exports to Nicaragua.
The other 20.9% were services, with transport being the largest service category. Transport (transactions associated with moving people and property from one location to another, like passenger flights and ocean cargo shipping) accounted for $374 million.
Industrial supplies and materials made up 38.2% of US exports to Nicaragua in 2024.
US exports to Nicaragua by category (2024)
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
