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Foreign Trade in Figures

The share of Lebanon’s foreign trade has been declining sharply in recent years and stood at nearly 79% of GDP in 2021, up from 50% one year earlier mostly due to the contraction in GDP (data World Bank). Lebanon mainly exports minerals (gold), diamonds, furniture, grapes, motor cars and ferrous waste and scrap. The country mainly imports mineral fuels (more than one-fourth of total imports), motor cars, gold, medicaments, and diamonds (data Comtrade 2021).

Lebanon’s main export partners are the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Cameroun, Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S.; whereas imports come chiefly from the EU (mainly Greece, Italy, Germany and France), Turkey, China, the U.S., and the United Arab Emirates (Comtrade).
The war in Syria, the drop in demand from countries in the region and the economic and political crisis in Lebanon are having a negative impact on Lebanese exports, while imports are also hindered by the lack of hard currency. The country's trade balance is structurally in deficit, a trend that should worsen in the upcoming future.
 
According to WTO data, in 2021 Lebanese merchandise exports stood at USD 4.5 billion as opposed to USD 13.8 billion in imports. No data is available for the trade in services; however, for the same year, the World Bank estimated the overall trade deficit to account for 26.8% of Lebanon’s GDP. According to preliminary data by the Bank of Lebanon, in the first half of 2022 exports of goods totalled USD 2.3 billion against USD 8.5 billion in imports; concerning trade in services, exports reached USD 3.6 billion vis-à-vis USD 2.7 billion in imports.

 
Foreign Trade Values 20172018201920202021
Imports of Goods (million USD) 19,91120,39619,64111,35513,857
Exports of Goods (million USD) 4,0263,8304,8294,0854,590
Imports of Services (million USD) 13,81514,24313,3365,7340
Exports of Services (million USD) 15,13615,55113,5824,9850

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Indicators 20172018201920202021
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 68.568.362.650.178.8
Trade Balance (million USD) -14,459-14,912-13,454-6,584-8,343
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) -13,130-13,621-12,938-6,432-7,236
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 2.11.3-9.5-46.0-12.2
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 3.9-4.7-0.9-53.713.1
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 46.547.542.033.852.8
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 21.920.820.616.426.0

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Forecasts 20222023 (e)2024 (e)2025 (e)2026 (e)
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) 0.00.00.00.00.0
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) 0.00.00.00.00.0

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data

Note: (e) Estimated Data

 
International Economic Cooperation
Lebanon is a member of the following international economic organisations: IMF, Arab Fund for Economic and Development (AFESD), ICC, Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), G-24, G-77, Arab League, WTO, among others. For the full list of economic and other international organisations in which participates Lebanon click here. International organisation membership of Lebanon is also outlined here.
Free Trade Agreements
The up-to-date list of Free Trade Agreements signed by Lebanon can be consulted here.
 

Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2021
United Arab Emirates 24.3%
Switzerland 10.1%
Cameroon 6.7%
Qatar 4.8%
Egypt 4.1%
See More Countries 49.9%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2021
Türkiye 11.0%
Greece 9.9%
China 9.2%
United States 5.6%
United Arab Emirates 5.5%
See More Countries 58.9%

Source: Comtrade, 2022. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

4.2 bn USD of products exported in 2021
Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought...Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought or not further worked than semi-manufactured or in powder form 10.7%
Diamonds, whether or not worked, but not mounted...Diamonds, whether or not worked, but not mounted or set (excl. unmounted stones for pick-up styluses, worked stones, suitable for use as parts of meters, measuring instruments or other articles of chapter 90) 10.0%
Furniture and parts thereof, n.e.s. (excl. seats...Furniture and parts thereof, n.e.s. (excl. seats and medical, surgical, dental or veterinary furniture) 7.3%
Grapes, fresh or driedGrapes, fresh or dried 5.5%
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) 4.2%
See More Products 62.4%
13.9 bn USD of products imported in 2021
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 26.9%
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) 5.8%
Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought...Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought or not further worked than semi-manufactured or in powder form 4.8%
Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed...Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses "incl. those in the form of transdermal administration" or in forms or packings for retail sale (excl. goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) 3.7%
Diamonds, whether or not worked, but not mounted...Diamonds, whether or not worked, but not mounted or set (excl. unmounted stones for pick-up styluses, worked stones, suitable for use as parts of meters, measuring instruments or other articles of chapter 90) 3.5%
See More Products 55.4%

Source: Comtrade, 2022. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

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

 

Main Services

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2023. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

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Actualitzacions: April 2023

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