Country export capability

Lesotho
export capability

A reported view of Lesotho's export scale, destination network, sector breadth, trade history, and market-access context. Use the indicators together; no single measure describes export readiness on its own.

LSO2000-2024 coverage270 active partner marketsEconomy and income contracted
Latest exports$985.8M2024 reported value
Latest imports$1.7B2024 reported value
Trade balance-$727.5MExports minus imports
Export growth+3.4%Latest year-on-year change
Active partners270Latest reported markets

Country export profile overview

Lesotho export data in one research view

This profile brings together export performance, trade balance, destination markets, HS2 sectors, partner breadth, history, and market-access context for country export research.

Export scale and balance

Start with the latest reported trade position

In 2024, Lesotho recorded $985.8M in exports and $1.7B in imports. The resulting -$727.5M trade balance gives the latest country-level position a clear context.

Exports changed +3.4% year on year and show a calculated -0% three-year CAGR. CAGR is an annualized comparison of reported values, not a forecast.

Markets and sectors

See where export value is concentrated

South Africa received $370.5M in reported exports, representing 37.6% of the latest country total. Precious stones and metals was the largest displayed HS2 export sector at $397.7M and 40.3% of exports.

The visible page highlights five leading destinations and five leading HS2 sectors, while the complete structured files retain every row supplied for this sample.

History and coverage

Read today's number against the long series

The country series covers 2000 through 2024, with 25 observed annual rows. That longer view helps separate a single-year movement from the broader export trend.

Partner counts, tariff context, concentration, exposure shares, and momentum are supporting indicators calculated from available trade observations. Missing values remain unavailable rather than estimated.

Economy and structure

The context around Lesotho's export base

Macroeconomic and structural indicators add context to merchandise trade scale. They describe the country environment; they do not predict company performance or future exports.

GDP$2.3B2024 macro context
GDP per capita$971.9Current-dollar GDP
Population2.3MReported population
Labor forceNot reportedReported labor force
Investment rateNot reportedNational investment rate
Savings rateNot reportedNational savings rate
Trade opennessNot reportedExports + imports / GDP
Exports / GDPNot reportedMerchandise exports / GDP
Secondary educationNot reportedEducation context
Tertiary educationNot reportedEducation context

Market signals

Where to look more closely next

Route-level risk and emerging-corridor signals for further research. These are calculated indicators, not forecasts.

Destination risk contextAll covered routes
Destination risk context for Lesotho
DestinationAttentionAttention shareBelow peakApplied tariffPrimary reason
South AfricaZAFHigh attention79.9%18.1%Not reportedVolatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
BelgiumBELHigh attention100%27.6%Not reportedTariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSAHigh attention71.9%45.4%Not reportedTariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
IndiaINDHigh attention100%36.1%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
ChinaCHNHigh attention96.4%11%Not reportedTariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
United Arab EmiratesAREWatch20.1%0.1%Not reportedVolatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
FranceFRAHigh attention100%79.7%Not reportedCurrent trade remains materially below historical peaks
CanadaCANHigh attention78%38.8%Not reportedTariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
MexicoMEXWatch40.4%6.7%Not reportedTariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
EgyptEGYHigh attention100%0%Not reportedVolatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure

Full route coverage is retained. High attention means the route deserves closer product and access review.

Market opportunity signals

Product-market combinations worth investigating

All returned rows use buyer demand, exporter position, and calculated addressable-value fields. They are research signals, not forecasts.

Addressable-value signalsAll returned rows
Market opportunity signals for Lesotho
RankMarket and productBuyer importsAddressable 3-year valueCurrent shareDemand signal
1ChinaHS6 854231 · Electronic integrated circuits: processors and controllers, whether or not combined with memories, converters, logic circuits, amplifiers, clock and timing circuits, or other circuits$158.0B$93.1B0%Declining +10.5%
2ChinaHS6 854239 · Electronic integrated circuits: n.e.c. in heading no. 8542$81.8B$61.4B0%Declining +4%
3USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 851712 · Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks$53.9B$53.8B0%Growing -8.8%
4USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 847150 · Digital processing units: other than those of subheadings 8471.41 or 8471.49, whether or not containing in the same housing one or two of the following types of unit: storage units, input units or output units$53.9B$45.6B0%Accelerating +60.2%
5USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 847130 · Data processing machines: portable, digital and automatic, weighing not more than 10kg, consisting of at least a central processing unit, a keyboard and a display$42.7B$33.3B0%Declining +6.2%
6USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 870323 · Vehicles: spark-ignition internal combustion reciprocating piston engine, cylinder capacity exceeding 1500cc but not exceeding 3000cc$91.2B$28.7B0%Declining -3.2%
7Switzerland, LiechtensteinHS6 300490 · Medicaments: consisting of mixed or unmixed products n.e.s. in heading no. 3004, for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, packaged for retail sale$41.0B$27.7B0%Accelerating +19.6%
8ChinaHS6 851712 · Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks$34.6B$26.3B0%Declining -2.3%

Addressable value is a calculated field. Validate product, buyer, tariff, and route conditions before commercial decisions.

Detailed export portfolioHS4 lines beneath the leading sectorsOpen the detailed four-digit export table for Lesotho.
All HS4 export lines2024 ranking
Top HS4 export lines for Lesotho
RankHS4Parent HS2 sectorExportsShareActive HS6
17102HS4 detail codePrecious stones and metals (71) ↗$397.7M40.3%4
26203HS4 detail codeNon-knitted clothing (62) ↗$63.2M6.4%14
35101HS4 detail codeWool and animal hair (51) ↗$59.6M6%5
46204HS4 detail codeNon-knitted clothing (62) ↗$51.9M5.3%25
56304HS4 detail codeOther made-up textile articles (63) ↗$43.4M4.4%7
66109HS4 detail codeKnitted clothing (61) ↗$39.5M4%2
76104HS4 detail codeKnitted clothing (61) ↗$38.3M3.9%22
88536HS4 detail codeElectrical machinery (85) ↗$36.9M3.7%10
96105HS4 detail codeKnitted clothing (61) ↗$34.8M3.5%3
106110HS4 detail codeKnitted clothing (61) ↗$17.3M1.8%6
111101HS4 detail codeMilling products (11) ↗$15.6M1.6%1
126103HS4 detail codeKnitted clothing (61) ↗$12.3M1.3%12

HS4 values are reported observations. The hierarchy is preserved; no missing descriptions are inferred.

The country export read

Lesotho combines $985.8M in exports with a broad partner network.

In 2024, Lesotho recorded $985.8M in reported exports and $1.7B in imports, producing a reported trade deficit of $727.5M. Exports changed +3.4% year on year and -0% annualized over three years. Precious stones and metals (HS2 71) was the largest displayed export sector by value.

Destination network

Where Lesotho exports move

All returned destination lanes ranked by latest reported export value. Share is calculated against the country total. Review sources ↗

Latest reported destination lanesAll returned · 2024
Leading export destinations for Lesotho
RankDestinationLatest exportsShareYear-on-year3-year CAGR
1South AfricaZAF$370.5M37.6%+8.3%+2.6%
2BelgiumBEL$252.6M25.6%+2.2%+5.3%
3USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$192.2M19.5%+1.2%-14.9%
4United Arab EmiratesARE$49.4M5%+34.3%+32.5%
5IndiaIND$37.1M3.8%-35.3%+656.1%
6ChinaCHN$26.0M2.6%+8.6%+10.6%
7MexicoMEX$13.0M1.3%+39%+44.2%
8CanadaCAN$8.2M0.8%+13.7%+2.7%
9EswatiniSWZ$8.1M0.8%+2.3%-7.3%
10FranceFRA$6.4M0.7%+98.1%+850.7%

Destination values are reported country-to-country observations. Full returned rows remain in the downloads.

Trade history

A long view of export scale

Latest twelve years from the 30-year reported country series. Context, not a forecast.

Reported exports by year

2013
$706.7M
2014
$906.6M
2015
$742.1M
2016
$855.2M
2017
$971.3M
2018
$1.1B
2019
$1.0B
2020
$886.0M
2021
$986.7M
2022
$1.0B
2023
$953.0M
2024
$985.8M

Partner network

Scale is only one part of export capability

Partner breadth, distance, agreements, and tariffs add context to reported exports.

FTA partner markets17Reported count
WTO partner markets169Reported count
EU partner markets28Reported count
Shared-border partners1Country context
Shared-language partners77Country context
Average partner distance8,623 kmCalculated average
Partners with FTA6.3%Calculated share
Applied tariff contextNot reportedCalculated average
MFN tariff contextNot reportedCalculated average
Tariff advantageNot reported ppPreferential vs MFN

Exposure context

Signals to examine alongside export scale

Calculated or classified route and country context. Not predictions or recommendations.

Attention share80.6%

Covered value under attention

Critical share1.6%

Covered value marked critical

Below historical peak26.3%

Distance below route peaks

FTA-covered exports34.3%

Covered value with FTA context

Weighted tariff contextNot reported

Export-weighted tariff

Macro contextEconomy and income contracted

Primary attention driver: Market access exposure.

Momentum score2.4

History-based indicator

Partner concentration2,499.5

Partner HHI

Product concentration1,319.6

Product HHI

Country attention level: High attention. Missing fields remain unavailable.

Complete country valuesOpen the full profile evidenceFull history, sectors, HS4, destinations, risk, opportunities, and source fields.

Profile fields

Year2,024
Country Iso3LSO
Exports Usd$985.8M
Imports Usd$1.7B
Trade Balance Usd-$727.5M
Yoy Exports Growth Pct3.4%
Yoy Imports Growth Pct6.5%
Exports Cagr 3y Pct-0%
Imports Cagr 3y Pct3.1%
Export Partner Hhi2,499.5
Export Product Hhi1,319.6
Momentum Score2.4
Risk Score19.1
Gdp Million Usd2,271.76 million USD
Gdp Per Capita Usd$971.9
Population2,337,423
Labor ForceNot reported
Investment Rate PctNot reported
Savings Rate PctNot reported
Secondary Education PctNot reported
Tertiary Education PctNot reported
Total Factor ProductivityNot reported
Trade Openness PctNot reported
Exports Gdp PctNot reported
Num Active Partners270
Num Fta Partners17
Num Wto Partners169
Num Eu Partners28
Num Shared Border Partners1
Num Shared Language Partners77
Avg Partner Distance Km8,623 km
Avg Partner Gdp Million Usd533,678,518.33 million USD
Avg Partner Gdp Per Capita Usd$15.8
Avg Buyer Biz Entry DaysNot reported
Avg Buyer Biz Entry Cost PctNot reported
Pct Partners With Fta6
Pct Partners Shared Language29
Pct Partners Shared Border0
Avg Applied Tariff PctNot reported
Avg Mfn Tariff PctNot reported
Avg Preferential Tariff PctNot reported
Tariff Advantage PpNot reported
Avg Distance All Partners Km8,712
Num Border Partners24
Num Colonial Partners20
Avg Substitution Elasticity-7.8
Pct Products High Elasticity65
Pct Products Low Elasticity4
Real Market Potential55,389
Foreign Market Potential12,084.6

Exposure fields

Country Iso3LSO
All History Lane Count515
Current Lane Count219
Critical Lane Count1
High Attention Lane Count62
High Volatility Lane Count160
Unrecovered Drawdown Lane Count68
Declining Demand Lane Count1
Concentrated Market Lane Count124
Access Friction Lane Count98
Buyer Macro Weakness Lane Count106
Monitored Exports Current Usd$891.8M
Attention Exports Usd$719.1M
Critical Exports Usd$14.7M
High Volatility Exports Usd$264.0M
Unrecovered Drawdown Exports Usd$161.3M
Non Fta Exports Usd$585.9M
Monitored Attention Share Pct80.6%
Monitored Critical Share Pct1.6%
Fta Covered Exports Share Pct34.3%
Export Weighted Volatility Cv0.9
Export Weighted Below Peak Pct26.3%
Export Weighted Distance Km7,191 km
Export Weighted Tariff PctNot reported
Latest Data Year2,024
First Data Year2,000
Country Years Count25
Total Exports Latest Usd$985.8M
Total Imports Latest Usd$1.7B
Trade Balance Latest Usd-$727.5M
Exports Yoy Latest Pct3.4%
Exports Cagr 3y Latest Pct-0%
Gdp Latest Million Usd2,271.76 million USD
Gdp Per Capita Latest Usd$971.9
Population Latest2,337,423
Investment Rate Latest PctNot reported
Savings Rate Latest PctNot reported
Trade Openness Latest PctNot reported
Exports Gdp Latest PctNot reported
Active Partners Latest270
Fta Partners Latest17
Foreign Market Potential Latest12,084.6
Gdp 5y Cagr Pct-1%
Gdp Per Capita 5y Cagr Pct-2.1%
Population 5y Cagr Pct1.1%
Partner Hhi Latest2,499.5
Partner Top1 Share Latest Pct37.6%
Partner Top3 Share Latest Pct82.7%
Partner Hhi All Avg3,967.4
Partner Hhi All Max9,099.5
Product Hhi Latest1,319.6
Product Top1 Share Latest Pct34.3%
Product Top3 Share Latest Pct44.4%
Product Hhi All Avg1,299.4
Product Hhi All Max2,006.3
Total Exports Attention Share Pct73%
Total Exports Critical Share Pct1.5%
Attention LevelHigh attention
Primary Risk DriverMarket access exposure
Macro Resilience LabelEconomy and income contracted

Annual country history

YearExportsImportsTrade balanceExports YoYExports CAGR 3Y
2000$184.6M$250.1M-$65.5MNot reportedNot reported
2001$223.8M$349.7M-$125.8M+21.3%Not reported
2002$339.6M$248.3M$91.3M+51.7%Not reported
2003$448.1M$379.8M$68.3M+31.9%+34.4%
2004$683.6M$631.1M$52.5M+52.6%+45.1%
2005$455.0M$312.8M$142.2M-33.5%+10.2%
2006$597.7M$389.1M$208.6M+31.4%+10.1%
2007$664.0M$384.6M$279.4M+11.1%-1%
2008$652.7M$368.1M$284.6M-1.7%+12.8%
2009$549.0M$524.3M$24.7M-15.9%-2.8%
2010$710.3M$1.4B-$717.5M+29.4%+2.3%
2011$1.1B$1.6B-$531.7M+52.6%+18.4%
2012$909.5M$1.7B-$770.7M-16.1%+18.3%
2013$706.7M$1.7B-$978.9M-22.3%-0.2%
2014$906.6M$1.5B-$582.7M+28.3%-5.8%
2015$742.1M$1.4B-$652.5M-18.2%-6.6%
2016$855.2M$1.3B-$465.6M+15.2%+6.6%
2017$971.3M$1.6B-$580.0M+13.6%+2.3%
2018$1.1B$1.5B-$427.1M+13.1%+14%
2019$1.0B$1.5B-$503.1M-5.8%+6.6%
2020$886.0M$1.2B-$349.9M-14.4%-3%
2021$986.7M$1.6B-$576.6M+11.4%-3.5%
2022$1.0B$1.7B-$686.0M+3.3%-0.5%
2023$953.0M$1.6B-$655.1M-6.5%+2.5%
2024$985.8M$1.7B-$727.5M+3.4%-0%

Top export sectors

RankHS2SectorExportsShareExport partnersActive HS6
171Precious stones and metals$397.7M40.3%1624
261Knitted clothing$173.7M17.6%75106
362Non-knitted clothing$138.3M14%61112
451Wool and animal hair$67.9M6.9%227
585Electrical machinery$44.4M4.5%85257
663Other made-up textile articles$43.7M4.4%2252
752Cotton$29.0M2.9%1686
811Milling products$19.3M2%526
984Machinery$12.1M1.2%41506
1003Fish and crustaceans$8.5M0.9%296

Detailed HS4 export lines

RankHS4Parent HS2ExportsShareActive HS6
17102Precious stones and metals (71)$397.7M40.3%4
26203Non-knitted clothing (62)$63.2M6.4%14
35101Wool and animal hair (51)$59.6M6%5
46204Non-knitted clothing (62)$51.9M5.3%25
56304Other made-up textile articles (63)$43.4M4.4%7
66109Knitted clothing (61)$39.5M4%2
76104Knitted clothing (61)$38.3M3.9%22
88536Electrical machinery (85)$36.9M3.7%10
96105Knitted clothing (61)$34.8M3.5%3
106110Knitted clothing (61)$17.3M1.8%6
111101Milling products (11)$15.6M1.6%1
126103Knitted clothing (61)$12.3M1.3%12

Top export destinations

RankDestinationISO3ExportsShareYoYCAGR 3Y
1South AfricaZAF$370.5M37.6%+8.3%+2.6%
2BelgiumBEL$252.6M25.6%+2.2%+5.3%
3USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$192.2M19.5%+1.2%-14.9%
4United Arab EmiratesARE$49.4M5%+34.3%+32.5%
5IndiaIND$37.1M3.8%-35.3%+656.1%
6ChinaCHN$26.0M2.6%+8.6%+10.6%
7MexicoMEX$13.0M1.3%+39%+44.2%
8CanadaCAN$8.2M0.8%+13.7%+2.7%
9EswatiniSWZ$8.1M0.8%+2.3%-7.3%
10FranceFRA$6.4M0.7%+98.1%+850.7%

Destination risk context

RankDestinationAttentionAttention shareBelow peakApplied tariffPrimary reason
1South Africa (ZAF)High attention79.9%18.1%Not reportedVolatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
2Belgium (BEL)High attention100%27.6%Not reportedTariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
3USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)High attention71.9%45.4%Not reportedTariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
4India (IND)High attention100%36.1%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
5China (CHN)High attention96.4%11%Not reportedTariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
6United Arab Emirates (ARE)Watch20.1%0.1%Not reportedVolatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
7France (FRA)High attention100%79.7%Not reportedCurrent trade remains materially below historical peaks
8Canada (CAN)High attention78%38.8%Not reportedTariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
9Mexico (MEX)Watch40.4%6.7%Not reportedTariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
10Egypt (EGY)High attention100%0%Not reportedVolatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure

Emerging corridor signals

RankDestinationHS6SignalMarket importsCurrent shareStrength
1Germany (DEU)611596new$212.6M0.3%100
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)610839new$44.3M1.3%100
3USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)611596new$1.6B0.1%100
4Ireland (IRL)440139new$9.1M1%98.8
5Armenia (ARM)710231new$366.1M0%98.5
6Cameroon (CMR)620462new$18.5M0.4%96.6
7Canada (CAN)852580new$1.7B0%96.1
8Spain (ESP)081340new$10.0M0.5%94.5
9Cameroon (CMR)621030new$55.2K86.9%93.6
10Saudi Arabia (SAU)870510new$266.5M0%93.6

Market opportunity signals

RankMarketHS6Buyer importsAddressable 3-year valueCurrent shareSignal
1China (CHN)854231$158.0B$93.1B0%Declining (+10.5%)
2China (CHN)854239$81.8B$61.4B0%Declining (+4%)
3USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)851712$53.9B$53.8B0%Growing (-8.8%)
4USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)847150$53.9B$45.6B0%Accelerating (+60.2%)
5USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)847130$42.7B$33.3B0%Declining (+6.2%)
6USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)870323$91.2B$28.7B0%Declining (-3.2%)
7Switzerland, Liechtenstein (CHE)300490$41.0B$27.7B0%Accelerating (+19.6%)
8China (CHN)851712$34.6B$26.3B0%Declining (-2.3%)

How to read this page

Separate reported scale from calculated context.

Reported exports, imports, trade balance, sector rows, destination rows, and annual history describe merchandise trade observations for the stated country and year.

CAGR, shares, concentration measures, tariff context, exposure shares, and momentum are calculated indicators built from the available observations. They help organize research but are not additional reported trade or forecasts.

Coverage runs from 2000 through 2024 for this profile. Missing values are shown as Not reported. Read the full methodology ↗

Reported observations

OECD BIMTS merchandise trade values are the primary series for this view.

Calculated indicators

Growth, share, HHI, tariff, and exposure fields are derived from available reported values.

Coverage limits

Unavailable values remain unavailable. No company sales, shipment records, or forecasts are implied.

Questions about this profile

Lesotho export capability, in context

Short answers for readers comparing country export scale, partner breadth, and calculated trade indicators.

What does the Lesotho export profile measure?

It combines reported exports, imports, history, destinations, HS2 sectors, partner context, and calculated indicators for Lesotho.

What is the latest reported export value for Lesotho?

Lesotho recorded $985.8M in reported exports in 2024.

Which markets receive the most exports from Lesotho?

South Africa leads by reported export value at $370.5M in 2024. Five destination lanes are highlighted.

Which sectors lead Lesotho's exports?

Precious stones and metals leads by reported value at $397.7M. Five HS2 chapters are highlighted.

How many years of Lesotho trade history are available?

This sample contains 25 observed annual rows covering 2000 through 2024. Missing observations are not estimated.

Are the growth and exposure values forecasts?

No. They are calculated or classified from reported observations, not forecasts or market-access guarantees.

Continue your research

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Compare countries, products, sectors, and routes using the available trade evidence and definitions.

Data source

OECD trade statistics with CEPII context

OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-28). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.