Niger, a landlocked country in northwest Africa, exported goods worth US$633 million in 2021.

This sum represents a decrease of -27.3% from $1.247 billion in 2017 and a drop of -49.2% from $871 million in 2020.

Processed petroleum oils, uranium or thorium ores, and unwrought gold are Niger’s top 3 exports. Together, those top three exports account for nearly four-fifths (79.2%) of Niger’s total export earnings. Such a high percentage suggests that the exported goods are concentrated.

Niger’s major trading partners 

According to the most recent data for each country, importers in France (23.2% of Niger’s total global exports), Mali (21.8%), Burkina Faso (14.4%), Nigeria (10%), the United Arab Emirates (9.1%), Canada (6.7%), Ghana (5.2%), South Africa (3.1%), Chad (1.6%), Benin (1.4%), Belgium (1.1%), and Germany (0.6%) purchased 98.1% of the products exported from Niger.

In terms of the continent as a whole, 59% of Niger’s exports by value went to other African nations, while 25% went to buyers in Europe. Asia received 9.2% more in exports from Niger. North America received a smaller share (6.8%), followed by Oceania (0.002%), primarily Australia, and Latin America (0.001%), which includes the Caribbean but excludes Mexico.

With a population of 25.1 million, Niger’s total exports of $633 million in 2021 correspond to almost $25 for each citizen of the northwest African nation. The money amount is greater than the 2020 per-capita average of $50.

Niger’s top 10 exports

Based on the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level, the following export product groups constitute the biggest dollar value in Nigerian global shipments year 2021. The percentage proportion that each export category contributes to Niger’s overall exports is also displayed.

• Mineral fuels including oil: US$244.6 million (38.6% of total exports)
• Ores, slag, ash: $181 million (28.6%)
• Gems, precious metals: $76 million (12%)
• Vegetables: $35.9 million (5.7%)
• Live animals: $19.3 million (3%)
• Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $11.2 million (1.8%)
• Vehicles: $9.5 million (1.5%)
• Machinery including computers: $9.2 million (1.4%)
• Aircraft, spacecraft: $8.3 million (1.3%)
• Oil seeds: $4.9 million (0.8%)
• 94.8% of the total value of Niger’s international shipments was made up of its top 10 exports.

More details

The fastest-growing export category among the top 10 was vegetables, which increased by 105.2% between 2020 and 2021.

Live animals came in second for increasing export sales with a 62.2% increase.

Oil and other mineral fuel shipments from Niger experienced the third-fastest increase in value, rising by 33.4%. Reduced sales of refined petroleum oils on the international market contributed to the decline in that category.

Gems and precious metals saw the largest decline among Niger’s top 10 export product groups, declining by -88% as a result of lower export gold sales revenues.

Gems and precious metals saw the largest loss among Niger’s top 10 export product groups, declining by -88% as a result of lower export gold sales income.

At the four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, which is more specific, processed petroleum oils accounted for 33.5% of Niger’s total global export value in 2021. The second position went to dried shelled vegetables (also second place), uranium and thorium ores and concentrates (28.6%), unwrought gold (12%), onions and shallots (5%), live bovine animals (2.4%), palm oil (18%), aircraft or spacecraft (1.2%), and sugar (0.7%).

Products generating niger’s best trade surpluses

The shipments of Niger-made products listed below constitute positive net exports or a trade surplus in the country. According to Investopedia, a country’s net exports are equal to the total value of its exports minus the total value of its imports.

Net exports are the amount by which foreign expenditure on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or falls short of the amount spent by the home country on goods or services from other countries.

• US$180.3 million for ores, slag, and ash (Down by -36.6 % since 2020)
• -$100.7 million for mineral fuels, including oil (Up by 58.9%)
• $75.7 million in gems and precious metals (Down by -88%)
• $24.9 million for vegetables (Up by 213.2%)
• $19.1 million for live animals (Up by 62.2%)
• $3.6 million for oil seeds (Up by 27.7%)
• Musical instruments: $201,000 (a $2,000 surplus)
• Raw hides, skins other than fur skins, and leather: $18,000 (Down by -98.3%)
• $14,000 for live trees, plants, and cut flowers (Up by 366.7%)
• Other animal-derived products: $00 (reversing a -$11,000 deficit)

In international commerce, Niger has extremely positive net exports in the ores, slag, and ash product category, particularly for uranium or thorium ores and concentrates.