Trade · Eswatini

What Eswatini sells and buys, and with whom

Name: Eswatini: goods trade by partner and product, 2012 to 2024
Creator: CEPII
License: https://www.etalab.gouv.fr/licence-ouverte-open-licence/

Eswatini exported US$2.2bn of goods in 2024 and imported US$2.1bn, a surplus of US$49m. 79% of its exports went to other SADC countries, which supplied 81% of its imports.

Exports, 2024US$2.2bnup 11% on 2012

Imports, 2024US$2.1bnSurplus US$49m

Exports to SADCUS$1.7bn79% of exports; US$239m more to the rest of Africa

Exports sold raw8%70% processed materials, 22% manufactured

Eswatini's trade since 2012

Exports and imports of goods, and exports to other SADC countries, US dollars

Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Who buys from Eswatini

Exports by destination, 2024. South Africa takes 69%.

South AfricaUS$1.5bn68.5%

KenyaUS$93m4.3%

NigeriaUS$86m3.9%

MozambiqueUS$60m2.8%

ZimbabweUS$51m2.4%

TanzaniaUS$43m2.0%

UgandaUS$39m1.8%

United KingdomUS$33m1.5%

ZambiaUS$29m1.3%

NamibiaUS$28m1.3%

ItalyUS$28m1.3%

United StatesUS$23m1.1%

Brown bars are SADC members.

Source: CEPII BACI· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

What Eswatini sells, and to whom

Exports by product group and partner, 2024

Ores and mineralsGold, diamonds and PGMsFuels and electricityMetalsFood and farm goodsChemicals, plastics and rubberMachinery and vehiclesTextiles, clothing and leatherOther goods

Hover over a band or a name to follow it. Flows under 0.4% of the total (US$82m in all) are not drawn.

Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Eswatini's main exports

Top products (four-digit HS headings), 2024, with the value five years before

Fuels and electricityFood and farm goodsChemicals, plastics and rubberMachinery and vehiclesTextiles, clothing and leatherOther goods

Flavour and fragrance mixtures (3302)US$631m28.9% · 2019: US$640m

Sugar (1701)US$342m15.7% · 2019: US$434m

Chemical preparations and binders (3824)US$270m12.4% · 2019: US$234m

Coal (2701)US$88m4.0% · 2019: US$19m

Sawn wood (4407)US$82m3.8% · 2019: US$60m

Women's suits and dresses (6204)US$64m2.9% · 2019: US$69m

Men's suits and trousers (6203)US$62m2.8% · 2019: US$68m

Other sugars, including chemically pure lactose, maltose… (1702)US$47m2.2% · 2019: US$25m

Sweets (1704)US$43m2.0% · 2019: US$27m

Pasta, whether or not cooked or stuffed or otherwise… (1902)US$40m1.8% · 2019: US$39k

Fuel wood, in logs, in billets, in twigs, in faggots or in… (4401)US$39m1.8% · 2019: US$32m

Fridges and freezers (8418)US$22m1.0% · 2019: US$12m

Uncoated kraft paper and paperboard, in rolls or sheets… (4804)US$20m0.9% · 2019: US$109k

Fruit, nuts and other edible parts of plants, otherwise… (2008)US$18m0.8% · 2019: US$18m

Sacks and bags, of a kind used for the packing of goods (6305)US$18m0.8% · 2019: US$19m

Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Trade with each SADC neighbour

2024, with the main products each way

Neighbour	Eswatini sold	Eswatini bought	Balance	Mostly
South Africa	US$1.5bn	US$1.7bn	−US$195m	Sold flavour and fragrance mixtures; bought refined fuels and oils · more
Mozambique	US$60m	US$19m	+US$41m	Sold flavour and fragrance mixtures; bought cement · more
Zimbabwe	US$51m	US$693k	+US$51m	Sold flavour and fragrance mixtures; bought tobacco leaf · more
Tanzania	US$43m	US$139k	+US$43m	Sold flavour and fragrance mixtures; bought trucks and vans · more
Zambia	US$29m	US$688k	+US$29m	Sold flavour and fragrance mixtures; bought maize · more
Namibia	US$28m	US$83k	+US$28m	Sold flavour and fragrance mixtures; bought lamps and lighting fittings including searchlights and… · more
Mauritius	US$7.2m	US$3.0m	+US$4.2m	Sold food preparations; bought cotton yarn · more
Lesotho	US$3.4m	US$6.5m	−US$3.1m	Sold sawn wood; bought cotton yarn · more
Malawi	US$7.0m	US$18k	+US$7.0m	Sold food preparations; bought furniture · more
Madagascar	US$5.5m	US$33k	+US$5.5m	Sold flavour and fragrance mixtures; bought vanilla · more
Seychelles	US$524k	US$0	+US$524k	Sold flavour and fragrance mixtures · more
Angola	US$409k	US$34k	+US$375k	Sold glaziers' putty, grafting putty, resin cements, caulking…; bought printers · more

How processed Eswatini's trade is

Exports and imports by stage of processing, 2024

RawProcessed materialsManufactured goods

Exports70%22%US$2.2bn

Imports17%46%37%US$2.1bn

Raw: unprocessed farm goods, ores, minerals, crude oil, coal and gas. Processed materials: refined metals and fuels, chemicals, processed farm goods for industry. Refined gold counts here. Manufactured goods: machinery, vehicles, parts, consumer goods and packaged food.

Source: UN Broad Economic Categories applied to CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Analysis: Eswatini's value-addition balance and openings

For members: where Eswatini earns and spends at each stage of processing, with SADC and with the world; how much rides on a few products and buyers; what it is competitive in; which exports grew or shrank; where its exports meet preferential terms; and the products it could sell to neighbours, or buy from them instead of from outside the region.

The trade analysis for Eswatini is part of the Individual plan

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CEPII BACI, built from UN Comtrade with each flow reconciled between exporter and importer (Etalab Open Licence 2.0). Values in current US dollars; exports valued free on board. Figures can differ from national statistics, and include non-monetary gold. About the data