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Malawi trade in 2024

In 2024, Malawi exported $912 million and imported $3.3 billion, a trade deficit of $2.4 billion. It was the world's 159th-largest exporter, with 0% of world exports. Its top export was raw tobacco (54.8% of the total) and its main trading partner was South Africa (13% of its trade).

Summary

Exports
$912million
Imports
$3.3billion
Trade balance
-$2.4billion
Routes to the main partners. Width: trade value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand
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Products

What it exports

Raw tobacco (54.8%) and dried legumes (beans, lentils, peas) (11.3%) together make up 66.1% of its exports.

  1. Raw tobacco$500 million · 54.8%
    Main partner: Germany
  2. Dried legumes (beans, lentils, peas)$103 million · 11.3%
    Main partner: India
  3. Tea$63 million · 6.9%
    Main partner: United Kingdom
  4. Soybean meal and pellets$39 million · 4.3%
    Main partner: Tanzania
  5. Other nuts (almonds, walnuts)$18 million · 2%
    Main partner: United States
  6. Cane and beet sugar$14 million · 1.6%
    Main partner: United States
  7. Peanuts$14 million · 1.5%
    Main partner: South Africa
  8. Poultry meat$13 million · 1.4%
    Main partner: Democratic Republic of the Congo
  9. Special-purpose vehicles$10 million · 1.1%
    Main partner: Rwanda
  10. Ferrous scrap$8 million · 0.85%
    Main partner: Rwanda

What it imports

Refined petroleum (15.8%) and nitrogen fertilizers (4.3%) together make up 20.1% of its imports.

  1. Refined petroleum$517 million · 15.8%
    Main partner: Tanzania
  2. Nitrogen fertilizers$140 million · 4.3%
    Main partner: United Arab Emirates
  3. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$122 million · 3.7%
    Main partner: India
  4. Mixed fertilizers$103 million · 3.2%
    Main partner: United Arab Emirates
  5. Cars$103 million · 3.1%
    Main partner: Japan
  6. Stamps and banknotes$95 million · 2.9%
    Main partner: United Kingdom
  7. Used clothing$80 million · 2.4%
    Main partner: China
  8. Soap$67 million · 2.1%
    Main partner: Indonesia
  9. Palm oil$63 million · 1.9%
    Main partner: Malaysia
  10. Polyethylene$51 million · 1.6%
    Main partner: South Africa
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
ChapterExportsImports
24 · Tobacco$501 million$47 million
07 · Vegetables$104 million$4 million
09 · Coffee, tea and spices$71 million$3 million
23 · Animal feed and food waste$48 million$8 million
12 · Oilseeds and grains$31 million$7 million
08 · Fruit and nuts$22 million$5 million
17 · Sugar and sweets$15 million$19 million
84 · Mechanical machinery$14 million$271 million
02 · Meat and offal$13 million$3 million
87 · Vehicles$12 million$219 million
44 · Wood$11 million$9 million
72 · Iron and steel$8 million$84 million
39 · Plastics$6 million$177 million
74 · Copper$5 million$7 million
40 · Rubber$5 million$44 million
86 · Railway equipment$4 million$692 thousand
63 · Home textiles and used clothing$4 million$129 million
85 · Electrical and electronic equipment$4 million$184 million
52 · Cotton$3 million$2 million
78 · Lead$3 million$16 thousand
76 · Aluminum$3 million$19 million
31 · Fertilizers$2 million$255 million
25 · Salt, stone and cement$2 million$61 million
22 · Beverages and spirits$1 million$10 million
71 · Gems and precious metals$1 million$75 thousand
41 · Hides and leather$1 million$35 thousand
54 · Synthetic filaments$1 million$10 million
49 · Books and printed matter$1 million$111 million
01 · Live animals$1 million$3 million
28 · Inorganic chemicals$1 million$16 million
21 · Food preparations$1 million$29 million
04 · Dairy, eggs and honey$961 thousand$10 million
33 · Perfumes and cosmetics$955 thousand$18 million
64 · Footwear$921 thousand$8 million
38 · Miscellaneous chemicals$738 thousand$48 million
90 · Precision and medical instruments$666 thousand$55 million
03 · Fish and seafood$660 thousand$2 million
94 · Furniture and lighting$636 thousand$19 million
10 · Cereals$629 thousand$59 million
30 · Pharmaceuticals$601 thousand$170 million
15 · Fats and oils$527 thousand$102 million
88 · Aircraft and spacecraft$486 thousand$1 million
27 · Oil, gas and coal$342 thousand$542 million
73 · Iron and steel products$337 thousand$61 million
19 · Baked goods and cereal products$242 thousand$20 million
53 · Other plant fibers$236 thousand$1 million
14 · Other plant products$207 thousand$1 thousand
68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles$186 thousand$11 million
29 · Organic chemicals$183 thousand$30 million
46 · Wicker and basketware$178 thousand$46 thousand
20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables$171 thousand$8 million
11 · Milling products and malt$148 thousand$30 million
06 · Live plants and flowers$102 thousand$82 thousand
82 · Tools and cutlery$98 thousand$6 million
26 · Ores and slag$83 thousand$40 thousand
61 · Knitted clothing$73 thousand$12 million
36 · Explosives and matches$68 thousand$2 million
48 · Paper and paperboard$67 thousand$87 million
62 · Woven clothing$60 thousand$12 million
97 · Art and antiques$51 thousand$101 thousand
96 · Other manufactured goods$49 thousand$5 million
69 · Ceramics$39 thousand$20 million
32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents$39 thousand$13 million
35 · Glues, starches and enzymes$25 thousand$3 million
83 · Miscellaneous metal goods$25 thousand$10 million
95 · Toys and sports gear$19 thousand$5 million
70 · Glass$17 thousand$14 million
66 · Umbrellas and canes$16 thousand$540 thousand
56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope$16 thousand$2 million
05 · Other animal products$16 thousand$77 thousand
47 · Wood pulp$14 thousand$840 thousand
16 · Prepared meat and fish$13 thousand$562 thousand
42 · Leather goods and bags$13 thousand$3 million
92 · Musical instruments$11 thousand$361 thousand
57 · Carpets and rugs$3 thousand$767 thousand
89 · Ships and boats$3 thousand$1 million
59 · Coated and technical textiles$2 thousand$2 million
93 · Weapons and ammunition$2 thousand$24 million
65 · Hats$2 thousand$1 million
91 · Watches and clocks$2 thousand$192 thousand
34 · Soap and cleaning products$1 thousand$101 million
18 · Cocoa and chocolate$920$2 million
37 · Photographic goods$885$1 million
67 · Feathers and artificial flowers$501$2 million
13 · Gums and plant extracts$80$176 thousand
81 · Other base metals$75$13 thousand
60 · Knitted fabric$34$262 thousand
58 · Special fabrics and lace$33$337 thousand
55 · Synthetic staple fibers$5$3 million
51 · Wool$0$217 thousand
80 · Tin$0$67 thousand
50 · Silk$0$61 thousand
43 · Fur and fur goods$0$24 thousand
45 · Cork$0$20 thousand
79 · Zinc$0$4 thousand
75 · Nickel$0$2 thousand

Trading partners

Its main destination is India (9.6% of exports) and its main source is China (16% of imports).

Who it sells to

PartnerValue (USD millions)ShareMode
India87.49.6%Sea
Germany86.29.5%Sea
South Africa59.96.6%Sea
Turkey515.6%Sea
Zimbabwe48.85.4%Sea
Poland43.54.8%Sea
United States43.44.8%Sea
Belgium34.33.8%Sea
Egypt31.53.5%Sea
United Arab Emirates25.52.8%Sea

Who it buys from

PartnerValue (USD millions)ShareMode
China52216%Sea
South Africa48514.9%Sea
Tanzania33210.2%Land
United Arab Emirates2798.5%Sea
India2738.4%Sea
Zambia1223.7%Land
Japan93.62.9%Sea
Mozambique86.82.7%Land
Kuwait82.52.5%Sea
Switzerland82.42.5%Sea

Overview 1995–2024

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

Exports and imports

Exports grew 90% since 1995

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

  • Exports 0.9
  • Imports 3.3
  • Balance -2.4

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$479 million$631 million-$152 million
1996$570 million$400 million$170 million
1997$705 million$431 million$275 million
1998$612 million$429 million$183 million
1999$617 million$769 million-$152 million
2000$571 million$615 million-$44 million
2001$620 million$617 million$3 million
2002$636 million$807 million-$171 million
2003$702 million$868 million-$166 million
2004$667 million$1.1 billion-$407 million
2005$829 million$1.3 billion-$449 million
2006$813 million$1.4 billion-$580 million
2007$1.1 billion$1.5 billion-$367 million
2008$1.1 billion$2.2 billion-$1.2 billion
2009$1.3 billion$2.2 billion-$911 million
2010$1.4 billion$2.3 billion-$814 million
2011$1.7 billion$2.6 billion-$950 million
2012$1.5 billion$2.6 billion-$1.1 billion
2013$1.4 billion$3.1 billion-$1.8 billion
2014$1.5 billion$2.9 billion-$1.4 billion
2015$1.2 billion$2.4 billion-$1.1 billion
2016$1.2 billion$2.4 billion-$1.2 billion
2017$937 million$2.6 billion-$1.7 billion
2018$1 billion$2.7 billion-$1.7 billion
2019$1.1 billion$3 billion-$2 billion
2020$925 million$2.8 billion-$1.9 billion
2021$1.2 billion$3.2 billion-$1.9 billion
2022$1.1 billion$2.1 billion-$940 million
2023$960 million$3.2 billion-$2.2 billion
2024$912 million$3.3 billion-$2.4 billion

World rank

Malawi fell from 131st to 159th among the world's exporters

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

  • 131st in 1995
  • 159th in 2024

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearRank
1995131st
1996133rd
1997128th
1998132nd
1999137th
2000146th
2001141st
2002141st
2003147th
2004154th
2005147th
2006153rd
2007148th
2008153rd
2009146th
2010147th
2011146th
2012150th
2013153rd
2014151st
2015152nd
2016151st
2017163rd
2018159th
2019160th
2020161st
2021159th
2022162nd
2023165th
2024159th

What it sells

Its top export group is still tobacco: 55% in 2024

% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.

  • Other 12%
  • Mechanical machinery 2%
  • Sugar and sweets 2%
  • Fruit and nuts 2%
  • Oilseeds and grains 3%
  • Animal feed and food waste 5%
  • Coffee, tea and spices 8%
  • Vegetables 11%
  • Tobacco 55%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Chapter19952024
Tobacco61.8%54.9%
Vegetables1.9%11.4%
Coffee, tea and spices10.2%7.8%
Animal feed and food waste0.2%5.2%
Oilseeds and grains0.37%3.4%
Fruit and nuts0.55%2.5%
Sugar and sweets5.6%1.7%
Mechanical machinery0.92%1.5%
Other18.5%11.6%

Who it trades with

China went from 2% to 13% of Malawi's trade

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

  • South Africa 13%
  • China 13%
  • India 9%
  • Tanzania 9%
  • United Arab Emirates 7%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
South Africa24.1%13%
China1.6%13%
India2.6%8.6%
Tanzania0.94%8.5%
United Arab Emirates0.04%7.3%

Production hubs

Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)

No hubs above the globe threshold.

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Largest economic production hubs (gridded GDP, 2024)

No hubs above the globe threshold.

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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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