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Benin trade in 2024

In 2024, Benin exported $1.4 billion and imported $4.4 billion, a trade deficit of $3 billion. It was the world's 148th-largest exporter, with 0.01% of world exports. Its top export was raw cotton (35.5% of the total) and its main trading partner was India (15.3% of its trade).

Summary

Exports
$1.4billion
Imports
$4.4billion
Trade balance
-$3billion
Routes to the main partners. Width: trade value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand
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Products

What it exports

Raw cotton (35.5%) and soybeans (17.5%) together make up 53% of its exports.

  1. Raw cotton$506 million · 35.5%
    Main partner: Bangladesh
  2. Soybeans$249 million · 17.5%
    Main partner: Pakistan
  3. Other oilseeds$104 million · 7.3%
    Main partner: Denmark
  4. Soybean meal and pellets$97 million · 6.9%
    Main partner: Pakistan
  5. Coconuts, Brazil nuts and cashews$84 million · 5.9%
    Main partner: India
  6. Refined petroleum$41 million · 2.9%
    Main partner: Nigeria
  7. Soybean oil$31 million · 2.2%
    Main partner: India
  8. Steel bars$24 million · 1.7%
    Main partner: Chad
  9. Preserved fruit and nuts$20 million · 1.4%
    Main partner: United Arab Emirates
  10. Airplanes and helicopters$20 million · 1.4%
    Main partner: United States

What it imports

Rice (20.6%) and refined petroleum (8.6%) together make up 29.2% of its imports.

  1. Rice$902 million · 20.6%
    Main partner: India
  2. Refined petroleum$378 million · 8.6%
    Main partner: Russia
  3. Mixed fertilizers$211 million · 4.8%
    Main partner: Morocco
  4. Frozen fish$122 million · 2.8%
    Main partner: Mauritania
  5. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$110 million · 2.5%
    Main partner: France
  6. Poultry meat$104 million · 2.4%
    Main partner: Spain
  7. Cars$96 million · 2.2%
    Main partner: United States
  8. Cane and beet sugar$80 million · 1.8%
    Main partner: Brazil
  9. Electricity$73 million · 1.7%
    Main partner: Nigeria
  10. Used clothing$70 million · 1.6%
    Main partner: United Kingdom
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
ChapterExportsImports
52 · Cotton$534 million$34 million
12 · Oilseeds and grains$355 million$2 million
23 · Animal feed and food waste$117 million$5 million
08 · Fruit and nuts$95 million$2 million
15 · Fats and oils$46 million$22 million
27 · Oil, gas and coal$41 million$535 million
72 · Iron and steel$39 million$130 million
44 · Wood$37 million$9 million
20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables$25 million$13 million
88 · Aircraft and spacecraft$20 million$20 million
84 · Mechanical machinery$12 million$355 million
71 · Gems and precious metals$11 million$12 million
41 · Hides and leather$10 million$641 thousand
10 · Cereals$10 million$954 million
87 · Vehicles$8 million$215 million
76 · Aluminum$8 million$27 million
73 · Iron and steel products$7 million$102 million
85 · Electrical and electronic equipment$5 million$247 million
14 · Other plant products$5 million$46 thousand
07 · Vegetables$5 million$9 million
61 · Knitted clothing$4 million$8 million
04 · Dairy, eggs and honey$3 million$11 million
63 · Home textiles and used clothing$2 million$87 million
22 · Beverages and spirits$2 million$23 million
48 · Paper and paperboard$2 million$49 million
39 · Plastics$2 million$145 million
30 · Pharmaceuticals$1 million$144 million
25 · Salt, stone and cement$1 million$49 million
90 · Precision and medical instruments$1 million$48 million
34 · Soap and cleaning products$1 million$9 million
94 · Furniture and lighting$1 million$56 million
11 · Milling products and malt$1 million$41 million
01 · Live animals$847 thousand$1 million
32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents$753 thousand$11 million
70 · Glass$740 thousand$18 million
31 · Fertilizers$696 thousand$266 million
13 · Gums and plant extracts$611 thousand$810 thousand
97 · Art and antiques$539 thousand$8 million
19 · Baked goods and cereal products$440 thousand$57 million
74 · Copper$439 thousand$7 million
49 · Books and printed matter$408 thousand$9 million
29 · Organic chemicals$335 thousand$9 million
54 · Synthetic filaments$321 thousand$4 million
62 · Woven clothing$315 thousand$9 million
64 · Footwear$297 thousand$14 million
82 · Tools and cutlery$295 thousand$6 million
21 · Food preparations$262 thousand$31 million
26 · Ores and slag$244 thousand$4 million
79 · Zinc$206 thousand$93 thousand
17 · Sugar and sweets$205 thousand$89 million
55 · Synthetic staple fibers$196 thousand$8 million
86 · Railway equipment$190 thousand$1 million
06 · Live plants and flowers$190 thousand$61 thousand
33 · Perfumes and cosmetics$189 thousand$17 million
40 · Rubber$177 thousand$23 million
28 · Inorganic chemicals$167 thousand$8 million
03 · Fish and seafood$135 thousand$122 million
96 · Other manufactured goods$113 thousand$7 million
68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles$109 thousand$8 million
46 · Wicker and basketware$92 thousand$2 million
83 · Miscellaneous metal goods$92 thousand$11 million
53 · Other plant fibers$65 thousand$1 million
42 · Leather goods and bags$64 thousand$5 million
38 · Miscellaneous chemicals$54 thousand$60 million
69 · Ceramics$53 thousand$30 million
09 · Coffee, tea and spices$51 thousand$7 million
95 · Toys and sports gear$48 thousand$6 million
67 · Feathers and artificial flowers$30 thousand$2 million
16 · Prepared meat and fish$22 thousand$11 million
37 · Photographic goods$17 thousand$841 thousand
47 · Wood pulp$17 thousand$2 million
89 · Ships and boats$15 thousand$5 million
57 · Carpets and rugs$13 thousand$2 million
91 · Watches and clocks$10 thousand$241 thousand
58 · Special fabrics and lace$9 thousand$2 million
18 · Cocoa and chocolate$5 thousand$2 million
92 · Musical instruments$4 thousand$217 thousand
93 · Weapons and ammunition$4 thousand$446 thousand
65 · Hats$4 thousand$3 million
24 · Tobacco$4 thousand$831 thousand
56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope$3 thousand$5 million
59 · Coated and technical textiles$1 thousand$3 million
36 · Explosives and matches$1 thousand$7 million
05 · Other animal products$974$4 million
60 · Knitted fabric$855$2 million
66 · Umbrellas and canes$492$412 thousand
51 · Wool$485$44 thousand
43 · Fur and fur goods$377$3 thousand
02 · Meat and offal$94$104 million
35 · Glues, starches and enzymes$62$3 million
81 · Other base metals$48$4 thousand
50 · Silk$42$9 thousand
80 · Tin$0$74 thousand
75 · Nickel$0$8 thousand
78 · Lead$0$4 thousand
45 · Cork$0$2 thousand

Trading partners

Its main destination is Bangladesh (33.8% of exports) and its main source is India (16.3% of imports).

Who it sells to

PartnerValue (USD millions)ShareMode
Bangladesh48133.8%Sea
India17512.3%Sea
Pakistan17212.1%Sea
China1208.5%Sea
United States72.55.1%Sea
Denmark68.54.8%Sea
Chad35.42.5%Sea
Nigeria33.92.4%Sea
United Arab Emirates29.92.1%Sea
Togo251.8%Land

Who it buys from

PartnerValue (USD millions)ShareMode
India71316.3%Sea
China59513.6%Sea
France3367.7%Sea
Morocco2365.4%Sea
United States2185%Sea
Togo1954.5%Sea
Nigeria1894.3%Sea
Russia1583.6%Sea
Thailand1583.6%Sea
Belgium1242.8%Sea

Overview 1995–2024

In 2024, Benin accounted for 0.01% of world exports, compared with 0% in 1995.

Exports and imports

Exports grew 7-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 1.4
  • Imports 4.4
  • Balance -3

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$210 million$934 million-$724 million
1996$275 million$1 billion-$744 million
1997$316 million$1.1 billion-$756 million
1998$422 million$1.2 billion-$806 million
1999$321 million$1.1 billion-$795 million
2000$310 million$1.2 billion-$847 million
2001$353 million$1.2 billion-$885 million
2002$306 million$1.3 billion-$1 billion
2003$494 million$1.6 billion-$1.1 billion
2004$531 million$1.6 billion-$1.1 billion
2005$569 million$1.9 billion-$1.3 billion
2006$654 million$2.2 billion-$1.5 billion
2007$770 million$3.3 billion-$2.5 billion
2008$836 million$4 billion-$3.1 billion
2009$661 million$3.9 billion-$3.2 billion
2010$1.6 billion$4.7 billion-$3.1 billion
2011$1.4 billion$5.9 billion-$4.5 billion
2012$1.6 billion$4.6 billion-$3.1 billion
2013$1.3 billion$6.2 billion-$4.9 billion
2014$2.3 billion$7 billion-$4.7 billion
2015$1.3 billion$5.9 billion-$4.6 billion
2016$1.2 billion$4.7 billion-$3.5 billion
2017$1.6 billion$5.4 billion-$3.8 billion
2018$1.7 billion$5.7 billion-$4.1 billion
2019$2.1 billion$4.1 billion-$2 billion
2020$1.6 billion$3.7 billion-$2.1 billion
2021$2.3 billion$4.8 billion-$2.5 billion
2022$1.9 billion$5.1 billion-$3.2 billion
2023$1.9 billion$5.2 billion-$3.3 billion
2024$1.4 billion$4.4 billion-$3 billion

World rank

Benin rose from 151st to 148th among the world's exporters

Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).

  • 151st in 1995
  • 148th in 2024

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearRank
1995151st
1996149th
1997146th
1998143rd
1999150th
2000159th
2001156th
2002161st
2003156th
2004160th
2005159th
2006159th
2007158th
2008159th
2009161st
2010143rd
2011151st
2012147th
2013154th
2014143rd
2015151st
2016148th
2017145th
2018145th
2019140th
2020146th
2021143rd
2022148th
2023148th
2024148th

What it sells

Its top export group is still cotton: 37% in 2024

% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.

  • Other 11%
  • Wood 3%
  • Iron and steel 3%
  • Oil, gas and coal 3%
  • Fats and oils 3%
  • Fruit and nuts 7%
  • Animal feed and food waste 8%
  • Oilseeds and grains 25%
  • Cotton 37%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Chapter19952024
Cotton73.1%37.5%
Oilseeds and grains6.8%24.9%
Animal feed and food waste0.48%8.2%
Fruit and nuts5.3%6.7%
Fats and oils0.04%3.2%
Oil, gas and coal5%2.9%
Iron and steel0.03%2.8%
Wood1.2%2.6%
Other8.1%11.2%

Who it trades with

India went from 2% to 15% of Benin's trade

% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.

  • India 15%
  • China 12%
  • Bangladesh 8%
  • France 6%
  • United States 5%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
India2.3%15.3%
China6.3%12.3%
Bangladesh0.01%8.3%
France17.1%6.1%
United States3.8%5%

Production hubs

Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)

No hubs above the globe threshold.

View on the globe

Largest economic production hubs (gridded GDP, 2024)

  • Cotonou$18.4 billion (PPP, 2021 dollars)
View on the globe

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.

Neighboring countries

Main partners

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