Foreign trade figures of Chad

Foreign Trade in Figures

The country is relatively open to foreign trade, which accounted for 83% of GDP in 2021 (World Bank, latest available). However, Chad remains rather closed to imports, with duties averaging 15.1%. Chad has adopted the common external tariffs of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) and the Community of Sahel and Sahara States (CEN-SAD). It has also been a member of the WTO since 1996. Despite free trade between CEMAC countries, trade within the area is low due to non-tariff barriers.

Main export destinations are the United States, India, China, and France and key exports are cotton, livestock, and acacia. Chad imports transport machinery and equipment, industrial products, foodstuffs, and textiles mainly from France, China, Cameroon, and India.

The trade balance is heavily dependent on oil, which reached an average of 89% of total exports in 2018, according to the AfDB. The decline in crude oil prices has severely affected the country’s trade balance. According to the WTO, imports of goods amounted to USD 2.5 billion in 2021, while exports reached USD 2.7. As for services, imports totalled USD 2 billion, while exports amounted to USD 223 million. As a result, Chad's trade balance came to a deficit of USD 1.6 billion.