Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN) Reports Increased Exports and Moderate Import Growth

According to Balance of Payments Results for the Third Quarter of 2025. According to Balance of Payments Results for the Third Quarter of 2025. The Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN) reported positive results for the Balance of Payments in the third quarter of 2025. The current account of the balance of payments registered exports of goods totaling US$2,119.8 million, 24.7 percent higher year-on-year (US$1,700.2 million in the third quarter of 2024), and imports of goods totaling US$2,731.2 million, 8.2 percent higher than in the third quarter of 2024 (US$2,524.2 million). As a result, the trade balance for goods showed a deficit of US$611.4 million, 25.8 percent lower than that recorded in the same quarter of 2024 (US$824.0 million).

Exports of goods accumulated through the third quarter totaled US$6,107.8 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 17.0 percent, driven by higher contracted prices (9.9%) and increased export volumes (7.1%). At the export sector level, agricultural exports (41.8%), mining exports (49.2%), and manufactured goods exports (2.9%) saw increases, while fishing and aquaculture exports decreased (-6.4%). Meanwhile, accumulated imports totaled US$8,036.3 million, 6.7 percent higher than the same period in 2024 (US$7,531.8 million), due to increased imports of capital goods (22.4%), consumer goods (9.8%), and intermediate goods (2.9%). Consequently, the accumulated trade deficit in goods was US$1,928.5 million, a year-on-year decrease of 16.5 percent.

In the services trade for the third quarter of 2025, the balance was a deficit of US$27.2 million, higher than the deficit of US$21.8 million recorded in the same quarter of 2024. Service exports totaled US$347.8 million, of which 38.1 percent corresponded to tourism revenue from non-resident visitors (US$132.5 million), 24.2 percent to manufacturing services from free zone companies (US$84.0 million), and 16.9 percent to telecommunications services (US$58.9 million), among others. Meanwhile, service imports totaled US$375.0 million, with 55.3 percent corresponding to freight and passenger transport services (US$207.3 million), 14.9 percent to spending by domestic tourists abroad (US$55.8 million), and 13.4 percent to insurance services (US$50.3 million), among others. In cumulative terms, the services account registered a deficit of US$98.0 million (a surplus of US$37.7 million in the third quarter of 2024), resulting from exports of US$963.2 million and imports of US$1,061.2 million.

Likewise, other net income of US$1,375.5 million was recorded in the third quarter of the year, which was 22.4 percent higher than in the same quarter of 2024 (US$1,124.0 million). for a cumulative total of US$3,765.4 million, a 24.5 percent increase year-on-year.

Among the movements in the capital and financial accounts, gross foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows reached US$616.2 million in the third quarter of 2025, with net flows of US$341.8 million (US$238.0 million in the third quarter of 2024). Thus, by the third quarter of the year, gross FDI inflows totaled US$2,270.6 million (US$2,260.8 million in the third quarter of 2024) and net flows reached US$1,220.7 million (US$1,027.2 million in the third quarter of 2024).

Meanwhile, the balance of foreign deposits held by financial institutions decreased by US$64.4 million, while those held by the non-financial private sector increased by US$28.3 million. Also during the quarter, net repayments of external loans by the private sector totaled US$19.8 million, and net disbursements by the public sector amounted to US$52.9 million. In cumulative terms through the third quarter of 2025, net disbursements of external loans totaled US$51.5 million, resulting from net external disbursements to the public sector (US$109.5 million) and net repayments by the private sector (US$58.0 million).

The Central Bank of Nicaragua's reserve assets increased by US$606.9 million in the third quarter of 2025 (US$615.5 million in RIB). and 1,671.3 million in the January-September period, which in terms of RIB represented a cumulative increase of US$1,716.5 million, ending with a balance of US$7,821.6 million.

As a result, in the third quarter, the balance of payments registered a current account surplus of US$736.9 million (US$1,738.9 million accumulated through the third quarter of 2025); and a positive result in the financial account of US$175.1 million (US$662.4 million accumulated through the third quarter of 2025).

Source: 19 Digital