globaltraffic.earth

Sierra Leone trade in 2024

In 2024, Sierra Leone exported $1.5 billion and imported $2.1 billion, a trade deficit of $561 million. It was the world's 147th-largest exporter, with 0.01% of world exports. Its top export was iron ore (54.5% of the total) and its main trading partner was China (48.9% of its trade).

Summary

Exports
$1.5billion
Imports
$2.1billion
Trade balance
-$561million
Routes to the main partners. Width: trade value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand
View on the 3D globe

Products

What it exports

Iron ore (54.5%) and titanium ore (11.6%) together make up 66.1% of its exports.

  1. Iron ore$829 million · 54.5%
    Main partner: China
  2. Titanium ore$176 million · 11.6%
    Main partner: China
  3. Cocoa beans$143 million · 9.4%
    Main partner: Netherlands
  4. Diamonds$108 million · 7.1%
    Main partner: India
  5. Niobium, tantalum, vanadium and zirconium ore$47 million · 3.1%
    Main partner: China
  6. Bauxite (aluminum ore)$24 million · 1.6%
    Main partner: Ireland
  7. Other ores$23 million · 1.5%
    Main partner: Japan
  8. Coffee$14 million · 0.95%
    Main partner: Switzerland
  9. Palm oil$14 million · 0.9%
    Main partner: Netherlands
  10. Ferrous scrap$10 million · 0.68%
    Main partner: India

What it imports

Rice (11.3%) and refined petroleum (4.5%) together make up 15.7% of its imports.

  1. Rice$235 million · 11.3%
    Main partner: India
  2. Refined petroleum$93 million · 4.5%
    Main partner: Spain
  3. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$86 million · 4.1%
    Main partner: India
  4. Sorting and crushing machines$52 million · 2.5%
    Main partner: China
  5. Cars$48 million · 2.3%
    Main partner: United States
  6. Trucks$42 million · 2%
    Main partner: China
  7. Plastic tableware and household items$40 million · 1.9%
    Main partner: United States
  8. Steel structures$38 million · 1.9%
    Main partner: China
  9. Generating sets$38 million · 1.8%
    Main partner: China
  10. Cane and beet sugar$34 million · 1.6%
    Main partner: Morocco
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
ChapterExportsImports
26 · Ores and slag$1.1 billion$279 thousand
18 · Cocoa and chocolate$145 million$6 million
71 · Gems and precious metals$109 million$1 million
15 · Fats and oils$21 million$4 million
85 · Electrical and electronic equipment$19 million$206 million
84 · Mechanical machinery$15 million$240 million
09 · Coffee, tea and spices$15 million$3 million
72 · Iron and steel$12 million$54 million
76 · Aluminum$12 million$16 million
03 · Fish and seafood$9 million$2 million
74 · Copper$7 million$301 thousand
70 · Glass$6 million$5 million
87 · Vehicles$5 million$138 million
20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables$4 million$23 million
73 · Iron and steel products$4 million$91 million
38 · Miscellaneous chemicals$3 million$9 million
34 · Soap and cleaning products$3 million$7 million
44 · Wood$3 million$5 million
39 · Plastics$3 million$111 million
90 · Precision and medical instruments$3 million$18 million
30 · Pharmaceuticals$2 million$107 million
40 · Rubber$2 million$20 million
89 · Ships and boats$2 million$21 million
48 · Paper and paperboard$1 million$19 million
95 · Toys and sports gear$1 million$3 million
54 · Synthetic filaments$1 million$14 million
61 · Knitted clothing$1 million$12 million
56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope$1 million$2 million
33 · Perfumes and cosmetics$1 million$14 million
86 · Railway equipment$973 thousand$28 million
94 · Furniture and lighting$928 thousand$30 million
23 · Animal feed and food waste$788 thousand$1 million
63 · Home textiles and used clothing$780 thousand$23 million
83 · Miscellaneous metal goods$743 thousand$11 million
07 · Vegetables$734 thousand$12 million
68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles$602 thousand$4 million
29 · Organic chemicals$595 thousand$5 million
08 · Fruit and nuts$451 thousand$1 million
21 · Food preparations$412 thousand$31 million
79 · Zinc$396 thousand$13 thousand
17 · Sugar and sweets$389 thousand$40 million
49 · Books and printed matter$386 thousand$10 million
32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents$360 thousand$6 million
64 · Footwear$355 thousand$28 million
22 · Beverages and spirits$351 thousand$18 million
62 · Woven clothing$330 thousand$15 million
25 · Salt, stone and cement$312 thousand$36 million
59 · Coated and technical textiles$237 thousand$1 million
24 · Tobacco$178 thousand$3 million
82 · Tools and cutlery$167 thousand$9 million
88 · Aircraft and spacecraft$166 thousand$59 thousand
60 · Knitted fabric$146 thousand$938 thousand
96 · Other manufactured goods$109 thousand$12 million
27 · Oil, gas and coal$101 thousand$117 million
53 · Other plant fibers$84 thousand$177 thousand
97 · Art and antiques$81 thousand$5 thousand
55 · Synthetic staple fibers$74 thousand$3 million
16 · Prepared meat and fish$70 thousand$32 million
69 · Ceramics$67 thousand$23 million
19 · Baked goods and cereal products$62 thousand$43 million
04 · Dairy, eggs and honey$52 thousand$14 million
11 · Milling products and malt$49 thousand$30 million
14 · Other plant products$44 thousand$11 thousand
91 · Watches and clocks$39 thousand$583 thousand
28 · Inorganic chemicals$33 thousand$3 million
42 · Leather goods and bags$28 thousand$16 million
41 · Hides and leather$27 thousand$0
52 · Cotton$26 thousand$5 million
02 · Meat and offal$17 thousand$67 million
46 · Wicker and basketware$17 thousand$20 thousand
51 · Wool$14 thousand$0
47 · Wood pulp$14 thousand$0
35 · Glues, starches and enzymes$13 thousand$2 million
67 · Feathers and artificial flowers$12 thousand$781 thousand
31 · Fertilizers$11 thousand$7 million
58 · Special fabrics and lace$9 thousand$600 thousand
12 · Oilseeds and grains$8 thousand$351 thousand
13 · Gums and plant extracts$6 thousand$76 thousand
01 · Live animals$6 thousand$163 thousand
65 · Hats$5 thousand$2 million
57 · Carpets and rugs$5 thousand$2 million
93 · Weapons and ammunition$4 thousand$20 thousand
81 · Other base metals$3 thousand$2 thousand
66 · Umbrellas and canes$2 thousand$649 thousand
06 · Live plants and flowers$1 thousand$5 thousand
05 · Other animal products$862$372 thousand
10 · Cereals$305$235 million
80 · Tin$266$4 thousand
36 · Explosives and matches$0$875 thousand
92 · Musical instruments$0$309 thousand
37 · Photographic goods$0$54 thousand
75 · Nickel$0$12 thousand
45 · Cork$0$11 thousand
50 · Silk$0$4 thousand
43 · Fur and fur goods$0$2 thousand
78 · Lead$0$87

Trading partners

China is its main destination (62.6% of exports) and source (38.9% of imports).

Who it sells to

PartnerValue (USD millions)ShareMode
China95362.6%Sea
Netherlands1439.4%Sea
India90.25.9%Air
Belgium52.73.5%Air
Germany432.8%Sea
Japan322.1%Sea
United States291.9%Sea
United Kingdom23.61.6%Air
France22.31.5%Sea
Ireland221.4%Sea

Who it buys from

PartnerValue (USD millions)ShareMode
China81138.9%Sea
India34116.4%Sea
United States1004.8%Sea
Turkey914.4%Sea
Spain80.73.9%Sea
Brazil62.53%Sea
United Kingdom50.62.4%Sea
Netherlands48.42.3%Sea
Morocco44.92.2%Sea
Belgium39.11.9%Sea

Overview 1995–2024

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

Exports and imports

Exports grew 8-fold since 1995

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

  • Exports 1.5
  • Imports 2.1
  • Balance -0.6

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$186 million$194 million-$8 million
1996$213 million$235 million-$22 million
1997$204 million$193 million$11 million
1998$120 million$151 million-$32 million
1999$89 million$144 million-$55 million
2000$159 million$293 million-$134 million
2001$97 million$363 million-$267 million
2002$169 million$545 million-$376 million
2003$205 million$493 million-$289 million
2004$234 million$443 million-$209 million
2005$228 million$549 million-$321 million
2006$294 million$456 million-$163 million
2007$404 million$615 million-$212 million
2008$362 million$741 million-$379 million
2009$280 million$629 million-$349 million
2010$356 million$767 million-$411 million
2011$498 million$1.4 billion-$915 million
2012$1 billion$1.5 billion-$472 million
2013$1.9 billion$1.3 billion$585 million
2014$2.5 billion$2.5 billion-$12 million
2015$663 million$2.1 billion-$1.4 billion
2016$979 million$1.2 billion-$267 million
2017$978 million$1.4 billion-$446 million
2018$843 million$1.4 billion-$519 million
2019$731 million$1.2 billion-$449 million
2020$573 million$1.2 billion-$599 million
2021$976 million$1.6 billion-$633 million
2022$1.3 billion$1.8 billion-$413 million
2023$1.6 billion$2 billion-$402 million
2024$1.5 billion$2.1 billion-$561 million

World rank

Sierra Leone rose from 155th to 147th among the world's exporters

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

  • 155th in 1995
  • 147th in 2024

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearRank
1995155th
1996156th
1997160th
1998167th
1999173rd
2000168th
2001175th
2002171st
2003167th
2004169th
2005171st
2006170th
2007168th
2008175th
2009175th
2010174th
2011174th
2012157th
2013144th
2014139th
2015166th
2016155th
2017162nd
2018163rd
2019164th
2020166th
2021163rd
2022157th
2023154th
2024147th

What it sells

Ores and slag became its top export group: from 5% to 72%

% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.

  • Other 6%
  • Iron and steel 1%
  • Coffee, tea and spices 1%
  • Mechanical machinery 1%
  • Electrical and electronic equipment 1%
  • Fats and oils 1%
  • Gems and precious metals 7%
  • Cocoa and chocolate 10%
  • Ores and slag 72%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Chapter19952024
Ores and slag5.1%72.2%
Cocoa and chocolate1.4%9.5%
Gems and precious metals59%7.2%
Fats and oils0.08%1.4%
Electrical and electronic equipment0.45%1.2%
Mechanical machinery0.87%1%
Coffee, tea and spices8.3%0.96%
Iron and steel1.1%0.78%
Other23.7%5.7%

Who it trades with

China went from 1% to 49% of Sierra Leone's trade

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

  • China 49%
  • India 12%
  • Netherlands 5%
  • United States 4%
  • Turkey 3%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
China0.96%48.9%
India5.9%12%
Netherlands3.7%5.3%
United States12.2%3.6%
Turkey0.06%2.6%

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)

  • Freetown$17 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

See all countries