Page "Foreign relations of Nicaragua" Paragraph 22

Under current president Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua has stayed current with the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force for Nicaragua on April 1, 2006.

Nicaraguan exports to the United States, which account for 59 % of Nicaragua ’ s total exports, were $ 1. 7 billion in 2008, up 45 % from 2005.

Textiles and apparel account for 55 % of exports to the United States, while automobile wiring harnesses add another 11 %.

Other leading export products are coffee, meat, cigars, sugar, ethanol, and fresh fruit and vegetables, all of which have seen remarkable growth since CAFTA-DR went into effect.

Leading Nicaraguan exports also demonstrated increased diversity, with 274 new products shipped to the United States in the first year.

U. S. exports to Nicaragua, meanwhile, were $ 1. 1 billion in 2008, up 23 % from 2005.

Other important trading partners for Nicaragua are its Central American neighbors, Mexico, and the European Union.

Nicaragua is negotiating a trade agreement with the European Union as part of a Central American bloc.