Nicaragua Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in nicaragua, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Trade Agreements
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Nicaragua, along with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, signed CAFTA-DR in 2004.  The agreement entered into force for Nicaragua and the United States in 2006.

In August 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Reinforcing Nicaragua’s Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform (RENACER) Act.  This legislation proposes new initiatives to address corruption and human rights abuses in Nicaragua, increases sanctions on key actors in the Ortega regime, and expands sanctions coordination with Canada and the European Union.  The bill also calls for a formal review to determine whether Nicaragua should be allowed continued its participation in CAFTA-DR.  

Nicaragua has signed and ratified bilateral investment treaties with Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Iran, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.  Nicaragua also has treaties with investment provisions with Chile, Mexico, Panama, Taiwan, and South Korea.

Nicaragua has a separate free trade agreement with ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America) member countries:  Cuba, Venezuela, Dominica, Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Granada, and Saint Kitts & Nevis.  Nicaragua is part of the Central American free trade agreements with the European Union and South Korea. Nicaragua announced it signed a free trade agreement with the People’s Republic of China in August 2023 but has not yet released the details of the agreement.   

The Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) provides technical and administrative support to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras in its efforts to establish a Central American Common Market.

The Ministry of Development, Industry, and Trade’s International Trade Office is responsible for the negotiation and implementation of trade agreements.

 

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

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As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

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The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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