Nicaragua: sanctions and trade risk

Sanctions programmeEU, Swiss, UK and US targeted sanctions on individuals and entities.

As of 7 November 2026, the screened UN, EU, UK, Swiss and US sanctions lists contain 27 companies, organisations, vessels and aircraft linked to Nicaragua.Lists last checked 2026-11-07 21:01 UTC.

Logistics profile: ports, airports, customs, documents, holidays, news ↓

A sanctions programme concerning Nicaragua is in force — typically an arms embargo or targeted measures against listed persons and entities. Ordinary civilian goods are usually not restricted; arms, related material and listed parties are.

Sources: EU Sanctions Map — Nicaragua (8 Oct 2026) · SECO — Massnahmen gegenüber Nicaragua · OFAC — Sanctions Programs and Country Information (active programs) (24 Oct 2026) · reviewed 24 Oct 2026

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By sanctions regime

The indicator above is the strictest of these. Which regimes are relevant to a shipment depends on many connections — dispatch country, company location, incorporation, nationality, ownership, banks, goods origin. The check selects them from your inputs in a simplified way; UN measures take effect through each country's implementing law.

Regime	Indicator	What applies
UN	—	No UN sanctions regime.
EU	Sanctions programme	Targeted listings (to Oct 2027).
Switzerland	Sanctions programme	Swiss ordinance on Nicaragua.
UK	Sanctions programme	Targeted listings.
US	Sanctions programme	US Nicaragua-related programme.

On the sanctions lists

27 entries on the official lists name Nicaragua — as nationality, address, registration or flag. That links them to the country; it says nothing about other companies there. The same company can appear on several lists and is then counted once per list. Individuals are not included — Sanctioni does not process them.

List	Entries	Companies & organisations	Vessels	Aircraft
US OFAC — Specially Designated Nationals (SDN)	22	22	—	—
EU Consolidated Financial Sanctions List (FSF)	3	3	—	—
Switzerland SECO Consolidated Sanctions List	2	2	—	—

Latest changes

No new listings or removals naming Nicaragua recorded yet.

All updates →

Logistics profile

Nicaragua: logistics and trade

Import-dependent agricultural exporter and regional transit hub in Central America

Nicaragua lies in Central America between Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south, with coasts on both the Caribbean and the Pacific. It is a presidential republic with a tropical climate and a pronounced rainy season on the Caribbean side. The economy is dominated by agriculture (coffee, beef, sugar, bananas), complemented by mining and a growing services sector. The country is highly import-dependent for machinery, fuel, consumer goods and food. Its logistical backbone is the Pacific port of Corinto, complemented by Caribbean ports such as Bilwi (Puerto Cabezas) and Bluefields. Customs are administered by the DGA through SIDUNEA World, a single 15 percent VAT (IVA) applies, and the country is integrated through DR-CAFTA, the EU-Central America Association Agreement and the Central American Common Market (MCCA/SIECA). The currency is the córdoba (NIO).

Capital: Managua
Population: 6,874,700
Area: 130,373 km²
Currency: Nicaraguan Córdoba (NIO)
Continent: North America
Region: Central America
Economic area: Central American Common Market (MCCA/SIECA) / DR-CAFTA
Religions: Catholic, Protestant
Access to the sea: Yes

Transport modes Sea · Road · Air

Current situation: Heavily dependent on imports; sea trade runs mainly through the Pacific port of Corinto.
Seasonal conditions: Rainy season May to November with flood risk; hurricane season June to November, mainly on the Caribbean coast (e.g. Eta and Iota 2020). Earthquake and volcanic activity in the Pacific belt.

Main seaports

Corinto
Corinto (NI CIO), Nicaragua's main Pacific port: containers, coffee, sugar, oil imports. EPN-run and expanding. Alternatives: Acajutla, Caldera.
Puerto Sandino
Puerto Sandino (NIPSN): Nicaragua's second Pacific port, offshore handling of petroleum and dry bulk, new LNG terminal. Containers via Corinto.
Puerto Cabezas
Puerto Cabezas (NI PUZ/Bilwi) is Nicaragua's North Caribbean multipurpose port: timber, resin, fishing, limited containers. Alternatives: Bluefields, Corinto.
Bluefields
Bluefields (NI BEF), Nicaragua's Caribbean coast: fishing and multipurpose port, Ro-Ro, 4.5 m channel. Containers run via Corinto.
El Bluff
El Bluff (NI ELB), Nicaragua: fishing port in Bluefields Bay with the country's largest fleet. Limited cargo; containers route via Corinto and Puerto Cabezas.

Main cargo airports

Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International AirportMGA
Augusto C. Sandino (MGA/MNMG), Managua: Nicaragua's main air-cargo airport – six cold-storage units, 3,000 m² customs warehouse, UPS, new freight terminal planned.

Road corridors

Pan-American Highway CA-1 (Honduras - Managua - Peñas Blancas/Costa Rica)
Managua - Corinto (Pacific)
Managua - El Rama (Caribbean)
CA-3 / Pacific corridor

Inland ports

San Jorge (Lago Cocibolca)
Granada (Lago Cocibolca)
San Carlos (Río San Juan)

Main trade lanes

Corinto - USA / Asia (Pacific)
Central American land transport (CA-1)
Nicaragua - EU (Atlantic)

Customs and import

Customs authority Dirección General de Servicios Aduaneros (DGA)Official website ↗

Import customs system: Electronic clearance via SIDUNEA World (ASYCUDA, UNCTAD). Import declaration as DUCA-D (third countries) or DUCA-F (Central America) via Ventanilla Única VUCEN; import duty DAI according to Arancel SAC.
Export customs system: Export via VUCEN, linked to DUCA in SIDUNEA World: DUCA-F for origin Central America, DUCA-D for third countries, DUCA-T for land transit. The responsible authority is the DGA.
Import VAT: Uniform IVA rate of 15 percent (Ley 822) on the customs value plus duty and ISC; collected by the DGI. Basic foodstuffs, medicines and certain goods are exempt.
Proofs of origin and trade agreements: Proofs of origin by agreement: DR-CAFTA with self-certification, EU-Central America with EUR.1 or origin declaration, DUCA-F for the Central American market (MCCA).
Restricted and prohibited goods: Licence required, among others, for weapons, ammunition, explosives, narcotics, medicines (MINSA), agricultural, plant and animal products (IPSA) and certain chemicals.

Typical import documents

DUCA-D / Declaración de Mercancías
Commercial invoice (Factura)
Transport document (B/L, AWB, CMR)
Packing list
Certificate of origin
if applicable, import licences (IPSA / MINSA)

Typical export documents

DUCA-F / DUCA-D
VUCEN export form (FUE)
Commercial invoice
Proof of origin (EUR.1 / DR-CAFTA)
Phytosanitary certificate (IPSA)
Packing list

Logistics conditions

Customs complexity: Medium to high
Customs delays: Medium
Dangerous goods relevance: Medium
Pharma and cold chain relevance: Medium
E-commerce relevance: Low to medium

Trade

Top import partners

United States China Mexico Costa Rica Guatemala

Top export partners

United States Honduras El Salvador Costa Rica Mexico

Top import goods

Mineral oils
Machinery
Vehicles
Electronics
Chemicals

Top export goods

Coffee
Beef
Sugar
Gold
Tobacco

Typical cargo

Coffee
Beef
Sugar
Gold
Tobacco
Machinery
Mineral oils
Consumer goods

Logistics questions

What is the import tax (IVA) in Nicaragua?

Nicaragua levies a uniform IVA of 15 percent. The tax base for imports is the customs value plus duty (DAI) and, where applicable, the excise tax ISC. Basic foodstuffs, medicines and certain goods are exempt. The tax is collected by the DGI.

Which customs authority is responsible in Nicaragua?

The responsible authority is the Dirección General de Servicios Aduaneros (DGA). Clearance is carried out electronically through the SIDUNEA World system, supplemented by the foreign trade single window VUCEN.

Which declaration document is used for imports?

For trade with third countries the DUCA-D (Declaración Única Centroamericana) is used, for regional trade with Central America the DUCA-F, and for land transit the DUCA-T. In addition, the commercial invoice, transport document, packing list and proof of origin are required.

Which free trade agreements apply to Nicaragua?

Nicaragua is part of DR-CAFTA (with the USA, in force since 2006), the EU-Central America Association Agreement (provisionally applied since 1 August 2013) and the Central American Common Market (MCCA/SIECA). In addition, there are bilateral agreements, including with Mexico and Taiwan.

Which ports are important for foreign trade?

The most important seaport is Corinto on the Pacific coast, which handles most of the container traffic. Puerto Sandino is also important, as are the Caribbean ports of Bilwi (Puerto Cabezas), Bluefields and El Bluff. International air cargo runs through Augusto C. Sandino Airport (MGA) in Managua.

Does Nicaragua have a rail network for freight?

No. Nicaragua has no operating rail network. Domestic transport runs by road, mainly the Pan-American Highway (CA-1), which crosses the country from Honduras in the north to Costa Rica in the south.

What currency is used in Nicaragua?

The national currency is the Nicaraguan córdoba (NIO). It is linked to the US dollar through a controlled crawling exchange rate; the US dollar is widely used in business transactions.

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