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This report describes Nicaraguan regulatory requirements and import procedures for food and agricultural products. As of June 2023, there had been no major changes since the 2022 report.

FAS/Managua projects Nicaraguan Arabica coffee production to remain mostly flat in marketing year 2023/24 at 2.46 million 60-kilogram bags, reflecting successive years of sub-optimal fertilizer application dating back to 2020 when fertilizer prices rose amid global supply chain disruptions and new taxes on agricultural inputs.

FAS/Managua projects Nicaraguan sugar production and exports recovering in marketing year 2023/24, despite deteriorating political and economic conditions in Nicaragua, with the anticipated arrival of an El Niño weather system and drier weather in the latter half of 2023.

FAS/Managua projects marketing year 2023/24 Nicaraguan peanut production to return to historic high levels, near 200,000 metric tons on an in-shell basis, as deteriorating political conditions and rising economic instability improve the risk-reward calculations of peanuts relative to longer-term investments in sugar or cattle.

The Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR)[1] region and Panama combine to represent the seventh-largest market for U.S consumer-oriented products, totaling $3.7 billion in 2022.

U.S. food and agricultural exports though the first nine months of 2022 were nearly $500 million – outpacing record highs in 2021 by 30 percent – on higher commodity prices and sustained demand for U.S. feed grains.

The Government of Nicaragua has refused to issue import permits or has rejected shipments of U.S. poultry products – including raw frozen cuts, fully cooked products, and day-old chicks – from U.S. states where high pathogenicity avian influenza cases have been reported.

Despite being passed in 2010, Nicaraguan biotechnology legislation lacks implementing regulations that would open additional opportunities for farmers and food processors to integrate new technologies into their operations. However, Nicaraguan companies continue to regularly import genetically engineered feed grains and oilseed products to support the growing livestock sector.

This report lists the main Nicaraguan food laws, technical regulations and import requirements. As of June 1, 2022, there were no major changes to Nicaragua’s import procedures since the 2021 FAIRS report.

This report lists Nicaraguan requirements for export certification and import permits for agrochemicals, veterinary products, feedstuffs, and food products for human consumption. There were no significant changes to required export certificates since the 2021 Report.

FAS/Managua projects marketing year 2022/23 coffee production unchanged from the previous year at 2.7 million 60-kilogram bags, as political and economic turmoil in Nicaragua are expected to continue limiting investment in the sector despite strong export prices for the marketing year 2021/22 crop.

Earlier investments in mechanization, irrigation, and co-generation of electricity for the national energy grid have helped insulate the sugar industry from domestic political instability, but access to and pricing of fuel and fertilizer could negatively affect sugarcane production in marketing year 2022/23.