[1] Primary trade source
OECD Bilateral International Merchandise Trade Statistics, harmonised by Yugalinks at country-year, HS2 and bilateral-corridor levels. Coverage shown here is 1995–2024 where observations are available.
Country intelligence · BWA · 2024
Botswana trade profile
In 2024, Botswana recorded $4.9B in merchandise exports and $6.8B in imports, producing a $2.0B trade deficit. Exports changed -16.7% from the previous year, while imports changed +6.0%.[1]
Exports
$4.9B
-16.7%
Imports
$6.8B
+6.0%
Trade balance
-$2.0B
deficit
Active partners
270
17 FTA-linked
Historical evidence
Ten-year trade movement
The bars compare exports and imports on the same scale. The accompanying table preserves the exact values so the trend is usable without interpreting a graphic.
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
ExportsImports
Exact annual values
Leading export sectors
HS2 chapters rank broad product groups by observed export value in 2024.
1$3.7B
HS 71 · Precious metals and stones
48 active HS6 lines · 61 export partners
2$589.7M
HS 26 · HS chapter
27 active HS6 lines · 19 export partners
3$128.6M
HS 85 · Electrical machinery
261 active HS6 lines · 82 export partners
4$57.3M
HS 28 · HS chapter
153 active HS6 lines · 10 export partners
5$53.5M
HS 01 · HS chapter
20 active HS6 lines · 14 export partners
6$37.9M
HS 02 · HS chapter
51 active HS6 lines · 27 export partners
7$33.1M
HS 27 · Mineral fuels and oils
42 active HS6 lines · 28 export partners
8$28.8M
HS 39 · HS chapter
128 active HS6 lines · 49 export partners
Leading export markets
Destinations rank bilateral export flows from Botswana; growth describes each corridor rather than the whole economy.
1$1.3B
United Arab Emirates
Annual change -20.1% · 3-year CAGR -12.2%
2$834.9M
India
Annual change -12.5% · 3-year CAGR 3.4%
3$717.0M
Belgium
Annual change -29.1% · 3-year CAGR -22.3%
4$507.2M
China
Annual change +21.2% · 3-year CAGR 62.3%
5$495.7M
South Africa
Annual change -22.3% · 3-year CAGR -9.5%
6$284.6M
United States
Annual change -21.1% · 3-year CAGR 8.7%
7$174.1M
Israel
Annual change +16.2% · 3-year CAGR -24.9%
8$86.1M
Singapore
Annual change +1.1% · 3-year CAGR -37.3%
Sources, definitions and limitations
Calculation notes
USD values are aggregated from reported merchandise records. YoY compares consecutive annual totals; three-year CAGR is the mart-provided compound annual growth rate. Missing values are not inferred.