Burundi is relatively open to global trade: according to World Bank, foreign trade represented 29% of Burundi's GDP in 2021. Coffee and tea represent the main export products (respectively 24.8% and 21.3% of total exports), followed by ores (12.1%), with gold also being one of the main exports. To promote exports, the government has established various institutions to support the country's producers and exporters, including the Burundi Coffee Institute and the Burundi Cotton Company. The key imports are refined petroleum (17.8% of total imports), pharmaceutical products (4.8%), cement (3.9%), and motor vehicles (2.9% - data Comtrade).
In 2021, Burundi's main suppliers were, China (18%), Saudi Arabia (13.4%), Tanzania (9.2%), India (8.2%), and United Arab Emirates (8%). Burundi's exports were directed chiefly towards the Democratic Republic of Congo (23.9%), Belgium (12.2%), Pakistan (8.6%), Tanzania (5.8%) and Oman (5.3%). Burundi is a member of the following trade organisations: the WTO, COMESA (Eastern and Southern Africa), ECCAS (Central Africa) and the East African Community (Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania). The recent tensions between China and the USA benefited the country, which developed its production of rare earth.
Burundi's trade balance is structurally negative, a trend which should continue in the coming years. This situation is mainly due to the country's large imports of manufactured goods and oil, its poor manufacturing sector and a lack of diversity in the tertiary sector. In 2021, Burundi exported goods for 156 million USD, while its imports of goods amounted to 1 billion USD (-3.7% and +13%, respectively). Burundi is also a net importer of services, with the overall trade deficit estimated at 18.8% of GDP in 2021 by the World Bank (from 17.7% one year earlier). Such a trend was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and weak global demand, as exports decreased while imports of medical products increased, deteriorating the trade balance. According to the latest figures from the Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies of Burundi, the total trade was estimated at BIF 623.7 billion in the first quarter of 2022 compared with BIF 527.4 billion in the corresponding quarter of 2021. The trade balance deficit amounted to BIF 408.2 billion against BIF 459.2 billion in the same quarter of 2021, a deterioration of 3.4%. The rate of coverage of imports by exports improved slightly by 6.5 points from 14.4% in 2021 to 20.9% in 2022.
Foreign Trade Indicators | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Imports of Goods (million USD) | 793 | 887 | 909 | 1,030 | 1,206 |
Exports of Goods (million USD) | 180 | 180 | 162 | 165 | 199 |
Imports of Services (million USD) | 229 | 263 | 248 | 291 | 333 |
Exports of Services (million USD) | 105 | 79 | 85 | 106 | 82 |
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | 19 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | 11 | -0 | -15 | 3 | 6 |
Trade Balance (million USD) | -496 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) | 27 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 |
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 21 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 23 |
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Source: WTO – World Trade Organisation ; World Bank - Latest available data.
Main Customers (% of Exports) |
2022 |
---|---|
United Arab Emirates | 28.0% |
Democratic Republic of Congo | 18.6% |
Switzerland | 9.5% |
Belgium | 8.0% |
Pakistan | 4.9% |
See More Countries | 30.9% |
Main Suppliers (% of Imports) |
2022 |
---|---|
Saudi Arabia | 14.7% |
China | 14.1% |
United Arab Emirates | 13.9% |
Tanzania | 9.1% |
India | 8.5% |
See More Countries | 39.8% |
Source: Comtrade, Latest Available Data
Source: Comtrade, Latest Available Data
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Member of Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
Member of African Union (AU)
Member of East African Community (EAC)
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Latest Update: December 2023