As a member of the Central American Common Market (CACM), Nicaragua applies a harmonized external tariff on most items at a maximum of 15 percent, with some exceptions. Approximately 95 percent of tariff lines are harmonized among Central American countries at this rate or lower. In response to rising prices in 2007, Nicaragua issued a series of decrees to unilaterally eliminate or reduce tariffs on many basic foodstuffs and consumer goods to 5 percent. These decrees have been regularly extended every six months, most recently in June 2023. Nicaraguan customs maintain an online database of import tariffs including tariffs applicable under CAFTA-DR.
To look up duties and tariffs you may also use the Customs Info Database tariff look-up tool, available on trade.gov (free registration required), to estimate duties and taxes.
Under CAFTA-DR, 100 percent of U.S. consumer and industrial goods and more than half of U.S. agricultural products should enter Nicaragua duty free. Nicaraguan consumers value American brands for high quality, and businesses seeking new entry for their products could take advantage of existing distribution channels for food, clothing, and personal electronics that are widely accepted in the Nicaraguan market.
Nicaragua has pledged to eliminate its remaining tariffs on nearly all agricultural goods by 2025, including those on dairy products. Import quotas on yellow corn and pork meat phased out in 2020, and import quotas for rice and chicken leg quarters phased out in January 2023. Import quotas remain on U.S. exports of white corn beyond 7,000 metric tons per year and U.S. exports of onions and shallots above 375 metric tons per year.