El Salvador and Belize Sign Partial-Scope Trade Deal Covering 400 Tariff Lines

El Salvador · Trade

The accord is a targeted goods deal, not a full free-trade agreement. And both governments still must ratify it before it takes effect.

Illustrative photo: the container park at Barbados Port in Bridgetown. El Salvador and Belize signed a Partial Scope Agreement covering about 400 tariff lines of goods, reported in mid-August 2026. (Photo: Paul Harrison, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.)

El Salvador has signed a new trade accord with Belize, opening preferential access across about 400 categories of goods. The deal is a Partial Scope Agreement, a limited pact rather than a full free-trade treaty.

It marks another step in San Salvador’s push to widen its export markets across the region.

What the two countries agreed

Start with the headline. El Salvador and Belize have signed a Partial Scope Agreement, a preferential trade deal focused on goods.

The pact was reported in mid-August 2026. It was signed by El Salvador’s Economy Minister, Maria Luisa Hayem, and Belize’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Marconi Leal.

Belize’s Cabinet had earlier scheduled the signing for July 2, 2026 in San Salvador. Either way, both sides now describe the agreement as done and moving toward ratification.

Why it is a partial-scope deal, not a full FTA

This is an important distinction. A Partial Scope Agreement covers a chosen list of products, rather than opening trade across the board.

A full free-trade agreement, by contrast, aims to remove tariffs on almost everything. So this deal is narrower by design.

That approach lets two small economies move quickly on the goods that matter most. As a result, they avoid the years of talks a broad treaty can demand.

The 400 tariff lines and the goods covered

Now to the substance. The agreement covers around 400 tariff lines, the customs codes that classify traded products.

Reports put the figure at 400 or slightly more. Because of that coverage, a defined basket of goods gains preferential entry.

The named sectors include agro-industry, pharmaceuticals, plastics, textiles and metalworking. Meanwhile, both governments say the pact also trims non-tariff barriers that slow trade.

Why the deal matters for El Salvador

For El Salvador, this fits a clear pattern. The country already holds free-trade agreements with partners such as the United States, Mexico, Colombia and South Korea.

Alongside those, it uses smaller partial-scope deals with countries like Cuba and Ecuador. Therefore the Belize accord extends that toolkit rather than breaking new ground.

It also stretches El Salvador’s trade map toward the Caribbean. In short, San Salvador keeps adding markets for its exporters, one targeted deal at a time.

What Belize stands to gain

For Belize, the logic is about diversification. Its Cabinet frames the deal as a way to open new export markets and deepen ties with Latin America.

The government points to opportunities for farmers and agribusiness in particular. As a result, local producers could win preferential access to a nearby market.

Belize’s trade has long leaned on its Caribbean neighbors. So a formal goods pact with a Central American partner marks a notable widening of its reach.

How the agreement came together

The deal did not appear overnight. It grew from a general framework agreement the two governments signed back in 2023.

Formal talks then followed. The first round of negotiations launched in Belmopan on December 11, 2024, after the countries completed technical negotiations in October 2024.

Further rounds refined the text through 2024 and into 2025. Because the groundwork was thorough, the signing became the final step rather than the hard part.

The regional approval step

There was one extra hurdle worth noting. As a Caribbean Community member, Belize needed regional sign-off for the deal.

The bloc’s trade council, COTED, reviewed the pact and discussed sensitive products. Meanwhile, it worked through the approvals needed for Belize to proceed.

That process shows how a small country balances two trade worlds. In effect, Belize must square Caribbean commitments with new Central American ones.

What still has to happen

Signing is not the finish line. Belize’s Cabinet approved the country to sign and then ratify the agreement.

Ratification typically means a further legislative step on each side. Until that is complete, the preferential tariffs do not formally kick in.

No firm entry-into-force date has been published. So the practical benefits for traders remain a step away for now.

What comes next

The immediate task is ratification in both capitals. After that, customs authorities must put the preferential rates into practice.

Exporters on both sides will then test how much the 400 tariff lines actually move trade. Still, the sums involved are modest next to El Salvador’s larger deals.

For now, the signing sets the direction. Overall, it signals steady, incremental trade-building rather than a dramatic shift.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did El Salvador and Belize sign?

They signed a Partial Scope Agreement, a preferential trade deal covering around 400 tariff lines of goods. It is not a full free-trade agreement.

Who signed the agreement?

El Salvador’s Economy Minister Maria Luisa Hayem and Belize’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Marconi Leal. It was reported in mid-August 2026, with a signing scheduled for July 2, 2026 in San Salvador.

Which goods does the deal cover?

It grants preferential access across sectors including agro-industry, pharmaceuticals, plastics, textiles and metalworking, and aims to reduce non-tariff barriers.

Is the agreement already in force?

Not yet. Both governments still need to ratify it, and no firm entry-into-force date has been published.

Sources: El Salvador in English; GreaterBelize; Belize Government Press Office; OAS SICE; CARICOM COTED.