Browse Data and Analysis

The Caribbean Basin region continues to experience growth, driven primarily by the steady rise in tourism, which in turn impacts consumer demand.

In 2024, the United States retained its position as the leading exporter of agricultural and related products to Jamaica, exporting approximately $650 million in bulk, intermediate, and consumer-oriented goods.

In 2024, U.S. agricultural exports to El Salvador totaled $888 million, a 3 percent increase from 2023.

El Salvador’s coffee production is expected to reach 561,000 sixty-kilogram-bags in marketing year (MY) 2024/25. The sector continues to face challenges from climate vulnerability and the absence of a long-term strategy.

Production for Jamaica sugar is projected to fall to 33,000 metric tons (MT) for marketing year (MY) October 2025 to September 2026, consistent with the ongoing downward trend observed in the industry.

Sugar production in El Salvador is forecast to reach 740,000 metric tons (MT) in marketing year (MY) 2025/26, with MY 2024/25 estimates revised down to 706,000 MT.

This report highlights the food processing industry, its drivers, key players, and market landscape in the Caribbean Basin. The region relies heavily on imports, and the United States is the largest supplier of food ingredients.

Jamaica’s pork market is valued at an estimated $40 million per year. While domestic production meets household and retail demand, it falls short of supplying the total market.

The hotel, restaurant, and institutional (HRI) sector in Jamaica continues to thrive, driven by a rapidly expanding tourism sector. In 2023, global agricultural exports to Jamaica slightly exceeded $1 billion with the United States supplying $606 million of that total.

By the end of 2023, El Salvador's hotel and restaurant sectors showed strong growth, reflecting the full recovery of its tourism industry. According to the latest Euromonitor data, Salvadorans spent $2.6 billion in the hotels and catering sector in 2023.

U.S. agricultural exports to Jamaica in 2023 totaled approximately $601 million, which makes the United States a key trading partner for the Caribbean nation. Currently, some U.S. exported livestock feed inputs and intermediate foods to Jamaica are produced using biotechnological methods.

On October 1, 2019, El Salvador agreed to harmonize the biosafety technical regulation for “modified living organisms” for agricultural use with Guatemala and Honduras and designated the Ministry of Agriculture as the National Competent Authority to provide authorizations and keep registries related to biotechnology.