weighted score 5.2 · nine dimensions
Country Risk Profile
El Salvador
Sourcing risk, regulatory exposure and audit intelligence for El Salvador-origin supply chains.
Forced & child labour
5
Child labour documented in coffee, sugarcane, and fireworks. CECOT prison labour concerns. State of exception since 2022 limits civil liberties monitoring.
Worker rights & FOA
5
ILO C087 and C098 ratified. Unions legal but face practical barriers. Maquiladora sector has documented excessive overtime and low-wage concerns.
OHS & audit transparency
5
Labour inspection capacity limited. Free trade zone audits inconsistent. Third-party access generally possible but quality varies.
Food & product safety
4
Food safety framework functional for coffee exports. Limited processing complexity reduces RASFF exposure. Regulatory capacity modest.
Environmental & regulatory
4
Coffee deforestation risk under EUDR. Environmental enforcement weak. Water stress issues in some agricultural regions.
Governance & anti-corruption
8
TI CPI 2025: 32/100. Bukele presidency has concentrated power. Reduced judicial independence. Foreign Agents Law (May 2025) imposes 40% tax on foreign donations. Press freedom declining.
Tariff & preferential access
5
EU GSP+ beneficiary — duty-free access on most tariff lines. GSP+ status contingent on continued compliance with 27 international conventions; democratic erosion could trigger review.
Non-tariff barriers
5
EUDR due diligence required for coffee exports. Limited product complexity reduces non-tariff barrier exposure overall.
Supply chain traceability
6
Coffee supply chains have established traceability through specialty certifications. Other agricultural and textile supply chains less transparent.
Labour & Social Risk
Labour & Social Risk
- Forced labour risk
- Moderate risk in agriculture (coffee, sugar cane) and informal manufacturing. Child labour persists in rural areas. The state of exception since March 2022 suspends certain civil liberties, raising concerns about prison labour in the CECOT mega-prison.
- Worker rights
- Freedom of association legally protected but enforcement weak. Independent unions exist but face practical barriers. Maquiladora sector has documented labour rights concerns including excessive overtime and low wages.
- ILO conventions
- El Salvador has ratified ILO C087 (Freedom of Association) and C098 (Right to Organise). However, implementation and enforcement remain inconsistent, particularly in free trade zones.
- ILAB status
- US Department of Labor lists sugarcane, coffee, and fireworks as goods produced with child labour or forced labour in El Salvador.
EU Regulatory Exposure
EU Regulatory Exposure
- GSP status
- El Salvador benefits from EU GSP+ (enhanced preferences), which provides duty-free access for most tariff lines in exchange for ratifying and implementing 27 international conventions on human rights, labour, environment, and governance.
- Anti-dumping & CVD
- No significant EU anti-dumping or countervailing duty measures currently in force against El Salvador.
- EUDR exposure
- Coffee is a significant export and is an EUDR-regulated commodity. Exporters will need to provide due diligence statements demonstrating deforestation-free supply chains.
- EU Forced Labour Regulation
- Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 applies from December 2027. Risk is moderate — primarily in agricultural supply chains rather than manufacturing.
Logistics & Supply Chain
Logistics & Supply Chain
- Primary export corridor
- Pacific coast ports → Panama Canal → Atlantic → EU ports
- Key port
- Puerto de Acajutla (Pacific coast). Limited container throughput compared to regional hubs.
- Main EU destination ports
- Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp
- Typical transit time
- 18-25 days to Northwest Europe
- Infrastructure note
- El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. Road infrastructure connects to Guatemalan and Honduran borders. No direct Caribbean port — Pacific-only access adds transit time via Panama Canal.