Togo flag Togo: Economic and Political Overview

Foreign trade figures of Togo

Foreign Trade in Figures

In Togo, foreign trade represents 58% of the GDP, according to the World Bank’s latest available data. The country has been a member of the WTO since 1995. Key challenges to trade include certain public monopolies and customs procedures. Togo's main exports are phosphates (22.2%), articles for the conveyance or packaging of goods (7.7%), petroleum oils (6.9%), soya beans (5.7%), and beauty or make-up preparations (5.6%); whereas imports are led by petroleum oils (5.4%), polymers of ethylene (3.9%), medicaments (3.7%), motor cars (3.5%), and motorcycles (2.9% - data Comtrade).

Togo’s main export destinations in 2022 were India (17%), Burkina Faso (12.4%), Benin (9.4%), Ivory Coast (8.4%), Mali (7.5%), and France (7%). Imports came chiefly from China (19.8%), France (8.9%), India (6.1%), Nigeria (4.4%), Ghana (4.1%), and Saudi Arabia (3.2% - data Comtrade).

Togo’s trade balance is structurally in deficit, a trend that is expected to continue due to the high oil bill and purchases of capital goods. In 2022, total exports stood at USD 1.4 billion against USD 2.6 billion in imports (+8.3% and +6.8% y-o-y, respectively). As per services, exports totaled USD 548 million, slightly above imports (USD 464 million – data WTO). In the same year, the World Bank estimated the country’s trade deficit at 9.9% of its GDP.

 
Foreign Trade Values 20192020202120222023
Imports of Goods (million USD) 2,0912,2602,6763,0413,204
Exports of Goods (million USD) 1,0559791,0601,3481,434
Imports of Services (million USD) 449438445464n/a
Exports of Services (million USD) 610514570548n/a

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Indicators 20182019202020212022
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 58.056.756.255.259.8
Trade Balance (million USD) -782-757-744n/an/a
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) -626-596-668n/an/a
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 4.13.11.66.95.1
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 0.83.46.55.3-1.1
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 33.332.532.532.034.9
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 24.624.223.723.225.0

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Forecasts 20232024 (e)2025 (e)2026 (e)2027 (e)
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) 2.46.46.99.17.6
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) 5.75.54.97.17.0

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data

Note: (e) Estimated Data

 
International Economic Cooperation
Togo is a member of ECOWAS - Economic Community of West African States, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and WTO.
 

Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2023
India 22.5%
Burkina Faso 9.2%
Benin 8.4%
Mali 7.8%
Ivory Coast 6.8%
See More Countries 45.3%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2023
China 19.0%
France 9.0%
India 7.9%
Ghana 4.8%
Türkiye 4.5%
See More Countries 54.8%

Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

1.5 bn USD of products exported in 2023
Natural calcium phosphates and natural aluminium...Natural calcium phosphates and natural aluminium calcium phosphates, natural and phosphatic chalk 19.2%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 12.7%
Articles for the conveyance or packaging of goods,...Articles for the conveyance or packaging of goods, of plastics; stoppers, lids, caps and other closures, of plastics 6.1%
Oilcake and other solid residues, whether or not...Oilcake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oil 5.6%
Beauty or make-up preparations and preparations...Beauty or make-up preparations and preparations for the care of the skin, incl. sunscreen or suntan preparations (excl. medicaments); manicure or pedicure preparations 5.5%
See More Products 50.8%
3.1 bn USD of products imported in 2023
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 6.2%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 4.2%
Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed...Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses "incl. those in the form of transdermal administration" or in forms or packings for retail sale (excl. goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) 3.8%
Polymers of ethylene, in primary formsPolymers of ethylene, in primary forms 3.7%
Palm oil and its fractions, whether or not refined...Palm oil and its fractions, whether or not refined (excl. chemically modified) 3.6%
See More Products 78.5%

Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows.

 

Main Services

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

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Latest Update: November 2024