Summary
- Exports
- $22million
- Imports
- $86million
- Trade balance
- -$63million
Products
What it exports
Frozen fish (50.7%) and refined petroleum (29.9%) together make up 80.6% of its exports.
What it imports
Refined petroleum (40.1%) and prefabricated buildings (18%) together make up 58.2% of its imports.
By Harmonized System chapter (80)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $11 million | $34 thousand |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $7 million | $34 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $463 thousand | $1 million |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $428 thousand | $3 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $425 thousand | $5 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $353 thousand | $684 thousand |
| 69 · Ceramics | $322 thousand | $12 thousand |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $320 thousand | $352 thousand |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $314 thousand | $204 |
| 87 · Vehicles | $291 thousand | $342 thousand |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $200 thousand | $0 |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $180 thousand | $0 |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $106 thousand | $51 thousand |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $90 thousand | $1 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $86 thousand | $16 thousand |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $73 thousand | $49 thousand |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $72 thousand | $52 thousand |
| 40 · Rubber | $60 thousand | $86 thousand |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $55 thousand | $4 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $51 thousand | $100 thousand |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $41 thousand | $71 thousand |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $36 thousand | $47 thousand |
| 05 · Other animal products | $32 thousand | $7 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $27 thousand | $12 thousand |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $24 thousand | $654 thousand |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $22 thousand | $6 thousand |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $13 thousand | $5 thousand |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $12 thousand | $157 thousand |
| 65 · Hats | $11 thousand | $4 thousand |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $9 thousand | $4 thousand |
| 64 · Footwear | $9 thousand | $27 thousand |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $9 thousand | $16 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $9 thousand | $21 thousand |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $9 thousand | $147 thousand |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $7 thousand | $104 thousand |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $6 thousand | $0 |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $6 thousand | $67 thousand |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $5 thousand | $340 thousand |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $4 thousand | $728 thousand |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $4 thousand | $4 thousand |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $3 thousand | $230 thousand |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $2 thousand | $191 thousand |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $2 thousand | $20 thousand |
| 52 · Cotton | $2 thousand | $1 thousand |
| 76 · Aluminum | $1 thousand | $8 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $1 thousand | $63 thousand |
| 07 · Vegetables | $569 | $84 thousand |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $421 | $0 |
| 70 · Glass | $396 | $55 thousand |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $258 | $99 thousand |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $222 | $7 thousand |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $217 | $8 thousand |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $131 | $40 thousand |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $121 | $0 |
| 21 · Food preparations | $109 | $134 thousand |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $39 | $0 |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $33 | $168 thousand |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $0 | $358 thousand |
| 24 · Tobacco | $0 | $260 thousand |
| 10 · Cereals | $0 | $188 thousand |
| 74 · Copper | $0 | $147 thousand |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $0 | $129 thousand |
| 79 · Zinc | $0 | $77 thousand |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $0 | $58 thousand |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $0 | $48 thousand |
| 44 · Wood | $0 | $45 thousand |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $0 | $38 thousand |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $0 | $34 thousand |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $0 | $29 thousand |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $0 | $28 thousand |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $0 | $26 thousand |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $0 | $20 thousand |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $0 | $12 thousand |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $0 | $1 thousand |
| 81 · Other base metals | $0 | $1 thousand |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $0 | $1 thousand |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $0 | $366 |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $0 | $361 |
| 75 · Nickel | $0 | $260 |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $0 | $11 |
Trading partners
Singapore is its main destination (51.7% of exports) and source (53% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD millions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | 11.5 | 51.7% | Sea |
| Cabo Verde | 7.9 | 35.4% | Sea |
| United States | 0.47 | 2.1% | — |
| France | 0.46 | 2.1% | — |
| Pakistan | 0.44 | 2% | — |
| Netherlands | 0.39 | 1.8% | — |
| United Kingdom | 0.15 | 0.68% | — |
| Germany | 0.11 | 0.48% | — |
| Brazil | 0.1 | 0.46% | — |
| Czechia | 0.09 | 0.39% | — |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD millions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | 45.3 | 53% | Sea |
| Greece | 34.4 | 40.2% | Sea |
| United States | 4.4 | 5.1% | Air |
| Panama | 0.7 | 0.82% | — |
| United Kingdom | 0.36 | 0.42% | — |
| Madagascar | 0.1 | 0.12% | — |
| Turkey | 0.07 | 0.08% | — |
| Morocco | 0.06 | 0.07% | — |
| Netherlands | 0.05 | 0.06% | — |
| Malaysia | 0.05 | 0.06% | — |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, the British Indian Ocean Territory accounted for 0% of world exports, compared with 0% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 42% since 1995
USD millions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 22.2
- Imports 85.6
- Balance -63.3
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $16 million | $6 million | $10 million |
| 1996 | $11 million | $4 million | $7 million |
| 1997 | $24 million | $5 million | $19 million |
| 1998 | $8 million | $12 million | -$4 million |
| 1999 | $41 million | $15 million | $26 million |
| 2000 | $60 million | $27 million | $33 million |
| 2001 | $53 million | $27 million | $27 million |
| 2002 | $40 million | $51 million | -$12 million |
| 2003 | $3 million | $7 million | -$5 million |
| 2004 | $3 million | $11 million | -$7 million |
| 2005 | $4 million | $9 million | -$5 million |
| 2006 | $4 million | $16 million | -$11 million |
| 2007 | $4 million | $13 million | -$9 million |
| 2008 | $7 million | $5 million | $1 million |
| 2009 | $6 million | $10 million | -$4 million |
| 2010 | $4 million | $5 million | -$789 thousand |
| 2011 | $14 million | $55 million | -$41 million |
| 2012 | $32 million | $119 million | -$88 million |
| 2013 | $34 million | $93 million | -$59 million |
| 2014 | $34 million | $23 million | $10 million |
| 2015 | $32 million | $23 million | $9 million |
| 2016 | $20 million | $27 million | -$7 million |
| 2017 | $18 million | $75 million | -$58 million |
| 2018 | $10 million | $41 million | -$32 million |
| 2019 | $83 million | $67 million | $16 million |
| 2020 | $13 million | $32 million | -$19 million |
| 2021 | $4 million | $27 million | -$23 million |
| 2022 | $6 million | $25 million | -$19 million |
| 2023 | $24 million | $74 million | -$50 million |
| 2024 | $22 million | $86 million | -$63 million |
World rank
The British Indian Ocean Territory fell from 191st to 212th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 191st in 1995
- 212th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 191st |
| 1996 | 195th |
| 1997 | 191st |
| 1998 | 201st |
| 1999 | 188th |
| 2000 | 187th |
| 2001 | 189th |
| 2002 | 193rd |
| 2003 | 217th |
| 2004 | 215th |
| 2005 | 214th |
| 2006 | 214th |
| 2007 | 215th |
| 2008 | 217th |
| 2009 | 213th |
| 2010 | 216th |
| 2011 | 211th |
| 2012 | 206th |
| 2013 | 205th |
| 2014 | 204th |
| 2015 | 205th |
| 2016 | 212th |
| 2017 | 213th |
| 2018 | 216th |
| 2019 | 198th |
| 2020 | 214th |
| 2021 | 219th |
| 2022 | 217th |
| 2023 | 210th |
| 2024 | 212th |
What it sells
Its top export group is still fish and seafood: 51% in 2024
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 8%
- Organic chemicals 1%
- Ceramics 1%
- Iron and steel 2%
- Mechanical machinery 2%
- Electrical and electronic equipment 2%
- Plastics 2%
- Oil, gas and coal 30%
- Fish and seafood 51%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Fish and seafood | 0.74% | 51.3% |
| Oil, gas and coal | 0% | 29.9% |
| Plastics | 0.01% | 2.1% |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 0.29% | 1.9% |
| Mechanical machinery | 0.46% | 1.9% |
| Iron and steel | 0.08% | 1.6% |
| Ceramics | 0.13% | 1.5% |
| Organic chemicals | 0.23% | 1.4% |
| Other | 98.1% | 8.5% |
Who it trades with
Singapore went from 0% to 53% of the British Indian Ocean Territory's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- Singapore 53%
- Greece 32%
- Cabo Verde 7%
- United States 4%
- Panama 1%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | 0% | 52.7% |
| Greece | 0% | 31.9% |
| Cabo Verde | 0% | 7.3% |
| United States | 9.9% | 4.5% |
| Panama | 0% | 0.65% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeLargest economic production hubs (gridded GDP, 2024)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeSources 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.