flag Bhutan Bhutan: Perfil comercial

Foreign Trade in Figures

Bhutan is a small economy highly open to foreign trade, which represents 78% of its GDP (World Bank, latest data available). Bhutan has been involved in a sub-regional economic cooperation process for several years, being a member of several regional organisations (SAPTA/SAARC) and a candidate to join the WTO since 1999. Nevertheless, the accession process has remained frozen since 2017 as the government estimates joining the WTO would be a distraction from providing necessary conditions for a high gross happiness index (GNH). According to data from the Ministry of Finance, in 2023, the country’s main exports included electricity (31.9% of the total), ferrosilicons (26%), ferro-silico-manganese (5%), dolomite (5.2%), and boulders (4.4%), whereas imports were led by other light oils and preparations (9.1%), processing units (3.7%), gasoline (3.1%), ferrous products obtained by direct reduction of iron ore (2.9%), and semi-milled or wholly milled rice (2.8%).

In 2023, India was by far the main trading partner, accounting for 52.7% of total exports and 78.5% of imports. Other export destinations were Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal, and China. Apart from India, Bhutan imports from China, Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong (data Ministry of Finance).

Since 2008, Bhutan has registered a trade deficit; a trend that is expected to continue in the years to come. Over the years, imports increased drastically while exports remained generally stable. In 2022, the country exported USD 724 million worth of goods and USD 22 million of services while imports stood at USD 1.5 billion for goods and 210 million for services (WTO). According to figures from the Ministry of Finance, in 2023, the country exported BTN 52.9 billion worth of goods against BTN 108.4 billion in imports, marking a decrease of 6.9% and 8.7% year-on-year, respectively. Bhutan’s trade deficit contracted by 10.3%, to BTN 55.5 billion.

 
Foreign Trade Indicators 20202021202220232024
Imports of Goods (million USD) 8991,2201,5111,3131,471
Exports of Goods (million USD) 651784724641755
Imports of Services (million USD) 215128198315221
Exports of Services (million USD) 1331820125257
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) -9917-1n/a
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) -201-931n/a
Trade Balance (million USD) -311-171-602-706-629
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 72788682n/a
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 44486053n/a
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 28292528n/a

Source: WTO – World Trade Organisation ; World Bank - Latest available data.

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Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2025
India 78.4%
Bangladesh 13.7%
United States 2.4%
South Korea 1.8%
Nepal 1.3%
See More Countries 2.3%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2025
India 55.7%
China 20.2%
Vietnam 12.5%
Malaysia 2.6%
Singapore 1.3%
See More Countries 7.7%

Source: Comtrade, Latest Available Data

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Main Products

0.5 bn USD of products exported in 2025
Ferro-alloysFerro-alloys 42.6%
Dolomite, whether or not calcined or sintered,...Dolomite, whether or not calcined or sintered, incl. dolomite roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular "incl. square" shape, and dolomite ramming mix (excl. broken or crushed dolomite for concrete aggregates, road metalling or railway or other ballast) 10.3%
Granite, porphyry, basalt, sandstone and other...Granite, porphyry, basalt, sandstone and other monumental or building stone, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a square or rectangular shape (excl. in the form of granules, chippings or powder, or already with the characteristics of setts, curbstones and flagstones, and monumental or building stone of an apparent specific gravity of >= 2,5) 6.0%
Semi-finished products of iron or non-alloy steelSemi-finished products of iron or non-alloy steel 5.7%
Cement, incl. cement clinkers, whether or not...Cement, incl. cement clinkers, whether or not coloured 4.7%
See More Products 30.7%
2.1 bn USD of products imported in 2025
Automatic data-processing machines and units...Automatic data-processing machines and units thereof; magnetic or optical readers, machines for transcribing data onto data media in coded form and machines for processing such data, n.e.s. 25.2%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 10.7%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 3.1%
Telephone sets, incl. telephones for cellular...Telephone sets, incl. telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks; other apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data, incl. apparatus for communication in a wired or wireless network [such as a local or wide area network]; parts thereof (excl. than transmission or reception apparatus of heading 8443, 8525, 8527 or 8528) 2.8%
Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and...Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and other bases, equipped with two or more apparatus of heading 8535 or 8536, for electric control or the distribution of electricity, incl. those incorporating instruments or apparatus of chapter 90, and numerical control apparatus (excl. switching apparatus for line telephony or line telegraphy) 2.1%
See More Products 56.1%

Source: Comtrade, Latest Available Data

 

To go further, check out our service Import Controls and Export Controls

To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows

 
 

Main Services

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, Latest Available Data

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List of tariffs and local taxes that apply to your product on our service Customs Duties and Local Taxes

 

Trade Compliance

International Economic Cooperation
Member of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

Member of Economic Cooperation Forum (BIMSTEC)

Bhutan is also a signatory to ‘Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)’, envisaged primarily as the first step towards the transition of SAARC countries into an Economic Union .

Useful Resources
Department of Revenue and Customs (DRC)
National Organisation of Intellectual Property
The Industrial Property Division.
 
 
 

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Latest Update: July 2026

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