Xifres de comerç exterior de Malawi

Foreign Trade in Figures

Malawi is relatively open to international trade, which represents 66.6% of the country’s GDP (World Bank). The country is a member of the WTO and has bilateral trade agreements with two of its main trade partners, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Malawi is also a beneficiary of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a U.S. trade preference program. As part of its trade policy, the country has been gradually reducing protections granted to domestic trade by shifting its sources of revenue from customs duties to consumption and direct taxes. The average applied tariff rate is 4.2%. Malawi mainly exports raw tobacco (52.5% of total exports), sugar, tea, leguminous, nuts and machinery. Imports are led by refined petroleum (7.2% of total imports), fertilizers, medicines, tobacco and vehicles.

The main export destinations of Malawi in 2020 were Belgium, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Kenya, the United States, Zimbabwe, China and Tanzania. The top import origins were South Africa, China, the United Arab Emirates, India, the United Kingdom and Zambia. (Comtrade).

Malawi’s trade balance is structurally in deficit. In 2019, trade deficit (including services) reached USD 2.03 billion. In 2020, imports of goods reached USD 2.82 billion, while the country exported goods for a value of USD 767 million. The export of services generated USD 162 million while the import of services bill amounted to USD 275 million (WTO). In 2022, the trade deficit is expected to narrow only marginally, as increased agricultural exports will be partly offset by rising imports and the depreciation of the Malawian kwacha (Coface).