While China continues to delay the disbursement of most of the loans it has agreed with the Ortega–Murillo government—and Nicaraguan exports to the Chinese market have yet to reach even $100 million—Chinese companies are clearly reaping benefits.
Between January and October 2025, they sold more than $1.5 billion worth of products to Nicaragua. By year’s end, these imports could double their 2021 level and even match or surpass those from the United States, historically Nicaragua’s main supplier.
According to the latest foreign trade report published by the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN), imports from China totaled $1.5549 billion between January and October 2025. That figure represents 19% of total imports during the period, which reached $8.2719 billion.
The value of Chinese imports in 2025 is close to doubling the $908.2 million recorded in 2021. It is worth recalling that in December of 2021, the Ortega–Murillo regime severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan to reestablish formal ties with China, although commercial relations had continued uninterrupted.
Approaching $2 Billion
This surge reflects how the rapprochement between the Ortega–Murillo government and Beijing has proven highly profitable for Chinese companies, which have increased their sales in the Nicaraguan market by more than 66% in just four years.
As a result, China has consolidated its position as Nicaragua’s second-largest individual supplier of goods. The United States remains in first place, exporting $1.6758 billion worth of products to Nicaragua between January and October 2025—equivalent to 21% of total imports.
Central America ranks third. Taken together, countries in the region sold Nicaragua $1.9726 billion during the same period, accounting for nearly 20% of total imports.
BCN reports do not break down imports by specific products for each country, as categories are grouped. China appears as a supplier of durable and non-durable consumer goods, raw materials and intermediate goods for agriculture and industry, construction materials, and capital goods for agriculture, industry, and transportation.
What Does China Sell to Nicaragua?
The United States exports a similar range of products to Nicaragua, including oil, fuels and lubricants, durable and non-durable consumer goods, raw materials and intermediate goods for agriculture and industry, construction materials, and capital goods for agriculture, industry, and transportation.
Notably, while imports from China have grown by more than 66% in just four years, those from the United States have remained largely flat. In 2021, U.S. exports to Nicaragua totaled $1.7633 billion, a figure comparable to what the country sold between January and October of this year. Trends throughout 2025 suggest that U.S. exports could close the year at levels similar to 2024, when they reached $2.1077 billion.
The sharp rise in Chinese imports means that China, the United States, and Central America together supply 60% of all goods Nicaragua imports, making them the country’s most critical external suppliers.
The remaining 40% comes primarily from Latin America and the Caribbean (around $1 billion), Mexico (about $700 million), Europe (roughly $800 million), and Asia excluding China (another $1 billion).
