Summary
- Exports
- $4.2billion
- Imports
- $6.5billion
- Trade balance
- -$2.3billion
Products
What it exports
Diamonds (65.6%) and copper ore (19.7%) together make up 85.2% of its exports.
What it imports
Diamonds (21.1%) and refined petroleum (13.7%) together make up 34.8% of its imports.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $2.8 billion | $1.4 billion |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $823 million | $754 thousand |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $161 million | $379 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $81 million | $11 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $45 million | $14 million |
| 01 · Live animals | $40 million | $3 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $37 million | $166 million |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $37 million | $1.1 billion |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $29 million | $72 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $18 million | $163 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $18 million | $86 million |
| 74 · Copper | $16 million | $27 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $15 million | $36 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $15 million | $75 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $14 million | $364 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $13 million | $113 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $11 million | $498 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $7 million | $17 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $5 million | $28 million |
| 75 · Nickel | $4 million | $10 thousand |
| 07 · Vegetables | $3 million | $19 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $3 million | $55 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $2 million | $82 million |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $2 million | $2 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $2 million | $41 million |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $2 million | $84 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $2 million | $36 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $2 million | $79 million |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $2 million | $73 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $1 million | $83 million |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $1 million | $972 thousand |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $1 million | $51 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $849 thousand | $13 million |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $808 thousand | $26 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $757 thousand | $13 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $654 thousand | $17 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $635 thousand | $825 thousand |
| 40 · Rubber | $630 thousand | $66 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $611 thousand | $184 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $523 thousand | $55 thousand |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $357 thousand | $28 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $351 thousand | $48 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $342 thousand | $589 thousand |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $341 thousand | $69 million |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $308 thousand | $3 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $262 thousand | $128 million |
| 44 · Wood | $248 thousand | $65 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $247 thousand | $47 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $238 thousand | $18 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $227 thousand | $66 million |
| 78 · Lead | $181 thousand | $6 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $168 thousand | $4 million |
| 70 · Glass | $154 thousand | $12 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $152 thousand | $3 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $132 thousand | $7 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $128 thousand | $83 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $122 thousand | $18 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $117 thousand | $2 million |
| 65 · Hats | $90 thousand | $5 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $90 thousand | $78 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $85 thousand | $8 million |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $77 thousand | $55 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $70 thousand | $88 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $57 thousand | $1 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $45 thousand | $3 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $39 thousand | $11 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $35 thousand | $3 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $35 thousand | $32 million |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $35 thousand | $4 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $34 thousand | $26 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $24 thousand | $8 million |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $20 thousand | $54 thousand |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $15 thousand | $10 million |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $12 thousand | $3 million |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $12 thousand | $176 thousand |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $11 thousand | $3 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $10 thousand | $8 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $8 thousand | $9 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $7 thousand | $895 thousand |
| 24 · Tobacco | $7 thousand | $12 million |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $4 thousand | $11 million |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $4 thousand | $1 million |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $4 thousand | $2 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $3 thousand | $420 thousand |
| 51 · Wool | $1 thousand | $417 thousand |
| 14 · Other plant products | $302 | $14 thousand |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $300 | $1 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $271 | $4 million |
| 81 · Other base metals | $209 | $44 thousand |
| 79 · Zinc | $161 | $67 thousand |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $128 | $8 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $39 | $142 thousand |
| 50 · Silk | $0 | $114 thousand |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $0 | $111 thousand |
| 45 · Cork | $0 | $36 thousand |
| 80 · Tin | $0 | $21 thousand |
Trading partners
Its main destination is India (28.4% of exports) and its main source is South Africa (67% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 1.2 | 28.4% | Air |
| China | 0.77 | 18.4% | Sea |
| Belgium | 0.73 | 17.4% | Air |
| South Africa | 0.49 | 11.7% | Land |
| United States | 0.41 | 9.9% | Air |
| Israel | 0.15 | 3.6% | Air |
| Hong Kong | 0.07 | 1.7% | Air |
| France | 0.05 | 1.2% | Air |
| Zimbabwe | 0.04 | 1.1% | Land |
| Taiwan | 0.04 | 0.96% | Sea |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 4.3 | 67% | Land |
| Namibia | 0.97 | 15.1% | Land |
| China | 0.24 | 3.7% | Sea |
| Canada | 0.19 | 3% | Air |
| India | 0.16 | 2.5% | Air |
| Zambia | 0.13 | 2% | Land |
| United States | 0.07 | 1.1% | Sea |
| Germany | 0.07 | 1.1% | Sea |
| Belgium | 0.04 | 0.66% | Air |
| Zimbabwe | 0.04 | 0.61% | Land |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Botswana accounted for 0.02% of world exports, compared with 0.05% in 2000.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 28% since 2000
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 4.2
- Imports 6.5
- Balance -2.3
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 1996 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 1997 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 1998 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 1999 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 2000 | $3.3 billion | $2.1 billion | $1.1 billion |
| 2001 | $2.6 billion | $1.8 billion | $819 million |
| 2002 | $4.2 billion | $3.3 billion | $917 million |
| 2003 | $2.9 billion | $3.9 billion | -$979 million |
| 2004 | $3.7 billion | $3.3 billion | $396 million |
| 2005 | $5 billion | $3.2 billion | $1.8 billion |
| 2006 | $4.3 billion | $3.1 billion | $1.2 billion |
| 2007 | $3.8 billion | $4.1 billion | -$282 million |
| 2008 | $3.9 billion | $5.5 billion | -$1.6 billion |
| 2009 | $3 billion | $5.1 billion | -$2 billion |
| 2010 | $3.3 billion | $7 billion | -$3.8 billion |
| 2011 | $6.1 billion | $8.3 billion | -$2.2 billion |
| 2012 | $6.2 billion | $9.4 billion | -$3.2 billion |
| 2013 | $7.4 billion | $7.4 billion | $40 million |
| 2014 | $7.2 billion | $9.3 billion | -$2.1 billion |
| 2015 | $5.6 billion | $8.2 billion | -$2.7 billion |
| 2016 | $7.8 billion | $6.2 billion | $1.6 billion |
| 2017 | $7.1 billion | $5.8 billion | $1.3 billion |
| 2018 | $6.9 billion | $6.7 billion | $256 million |
| 2019 | $5.6 billion | $6.9 billion | -$1.3 billion |
| 2020 | $4.5 billion | $6.7 billion | -$2.2 billion |
| 2021 | $7.5 billion | $7.8 billion | -$365 million |
| 2022 | $8 billion | $8 billion | -$7 million |
| 2023 | $6.5 billion | $6.6 billion | -$108 million |
| 2024 | $4.2 billion | $6.5 billion | -$2.3 billion |
World rank
Botswana fell from 88th to 128th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 88th in 2000
- 128th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | — |
| 1996 | — |
| 1997 | — |
| 1998 | — |
| 1999 | — |
| 2000 | 88th |
| 2001 | 95th |
| 2002 | 81st |
| 2003 | 96th |
| 2004 | 96th |
| 2005 | 94th |
| 2006 | 105th |
| 2007 | 117th |
| 2008 | 118th |
| 2009 | 115th |
| 2010 | 117th |
| 2011 | 108th |
| 2012 | 108th |
| 2013 | 104th |
| 2014 | 105th |
| 2015 | 108th |
| 2016 | 98th |
| 2017 | 102nd |
| 2018 | 107th |
| 2019 | 117th |
| 2020 | 120th |
| 2021 | 112th |
| 2022 | 113th |
| 2023 | 122nd |
| 2024 | 128th |
What it sells
Its top export group is still gems and precious metals: 66% in 2024
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 5%
- Oil, gas and coal 1%
- Plastics 1%
- Live animals 1%
- Meat and offal 1%
- Inorganic chemicals 2%
- Electrical and electronic equipment 4%
- Ores and slag 20%
- Gems and precious metals 66%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Gems and precious metals | 0% | 65.9% |
| Ores and slag | 0% | 19.7% |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 0% | 3.9% |
| Inorganic chemicals | 0% | 2% |
| Meat and offal | 0% | 1.1% |
| Live animals | 0% | 0.96% |
| Plastics | 0% | 0.89% |
| Oil, gas and coal | 0% | 0.88% |
| Other | 0% | 4.7% |
Who it trades with
South Africa went from 31% to 45% of Botswana's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- South Africa 45%
- India 13%
- China 9%
- Namibia 9%
- Belgium 7%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 0% | 45.3% |
| India | 0% | 12.6% |
| China | 0% | 9.5% |
| Namibia | 0% | 9.5% |
| Belgium | 0% | 7.2% |
Production hubs
Sources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
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.