Country export capability

Sierra Leone
export capability

A reported view of Sierra Leone'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.

SLE1995-2024 coverage270 active partner marketsMacro trend weakened
Latest exports$1.5B2024 reported value
Latest imports$2.2B2024 reported value
Trade balance-$766.9MExports minus imports
Export growth+5.4%Latest year-on-year change
Active partners270Latest reported markets

Country export profile overview

Sierra Leone 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, Sierra Leone recorded $1.5B in exports and $2.2B in imports. The resulting -$766.9M trade balance gives the latest country-level position a clear context.

Exports changed +5.4% year on year and show a calculated +17.8% three-year CAGR. CAGR is an annualized comparison of reported values, not a forecast.

Markets and sectors

See where export value is concentrated

China received $852.9M in reported exports, representing 58.3% of the latest country total. Ores, slag and ash was the largest displayed HS2 export sector at $1.0B and 68.5% 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 1995 through 2024, with 30 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 Sierra Leone'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$7.0B2024 macro context
GDP per capita$806.7Current-dollar GDP
Population8.6MReported population
Labor force3KReported labor force
Investment rate16.3%National investment rate
Savings rate-11.7%National savings rate
Trade openness77.2%Exports + imports / GDP
Exports / GDP30.6%Merchandise exports / GDP
Secondary education44.6%Education context
Tertiary education4.9%Education 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 Sierra Leone
DestinationAttentionAttention shareBelow peakApplied tariffPrimary reason
BelgiumBELCritical attention99.3%82.4%0.9%Current trade remains materially below historical peaks
IrelandIRLCritical attention73.1%50%0.9%Current trade remains materially below historical peaks
ChinaCHNHigh attention95.2%43%28.8%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
IndiaINDHigh attention95.9%6.7%53.2%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
GermanyDEUHigh attention97.4%45.8%0.9%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
JapanJPNHigh attention99%24.1%1.4%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
United KingdomGBRHigh attention71.9%0.3%Not reportedVolatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
Republic of KoreaKORHigh attention56.1%39.1%13.3%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
SenegalSENHigh attention87.5%61.9%12.4%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
LebanonLBNHigh attention97.1%1.9%9.1%Volatile 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 Sierra Leone
RankMarket and productBuyer importsAddressable 3-year valueCurrent shareDemand signal
1ChinaHS6 260111 · Iron ores and concentrates: non-agglomerated$111.0B$117.9B0.7%Growing -2.6%
2IndiaHS6 270900 · Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude$130.1B$72.9B0.1%Declining -0.5%
3ChinaHS6 854232 · Electronic integrated circuits: memories$80.6B$65.7B0%Declining +20.6%
4ChinaHS6 854239 · Electronic integrated circuits: n.e.c. in heading no. 8542$81.8B$61.4B0%Declining +4%
5USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 851712 · Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks$53.9B$53.8B0%Declining -8.8%
6USA, 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%Growing +60.2%
7ChinaHS6 260300 · Copper ores and concentrates$62.6B$35.3B0%Declining +11%
8USA, 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%Growing +6.2%

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 Sierra Leone.
All HS4 export lines2024 ranking
Top HS4 export lines for Sierra Leone
RankHS4Parent HS2 sectorExportsShareActive HS6
12601HS4 detail codeOres, slag and ash (26) ↗$742.4M50.8%3
22614HS4 detail codeOres, slag and ash (26) ↗$165.8M11.3%1
37102HS4 detail codePrecious stones and metals (71) ↗$142.3M9.7%4
41801HS4 detail codeCocoa and cocoa preparations (18) ↗$135.8M9.3%1
52615HS4 detail codeOres, slag and ash (26) ↗$44.1M3%2
62606HS4 detail codeOres, slag and ash (26) ↗$22.1M1.5%1
72617HS4 detail codeOres, slag and ash (26) ↗$20.7M1.4%1
87108HS4 detail codePrecious stones and metals (71) ↗$18.1M1.2%2
91511HS4 detail codeAnimal and vegetable fats (15) ↗$13.7M0.9%2
100901HS4 detail codeCoffee, tea and spices (09) ↗$11.7M0.8%5
117204HS4 detail codeIron and steel (72) ↗$9.5M0.6%7
127602HS4 detail codeAluminium (76) ↗$8.1M0.6%1

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

The country export read

Sierra Leone combines $1.5B in exports with a broad partner network.

In 2024, Sierra Leone recorded $1.5B in reported exports and $2.2B in imports, producing a reported trade deficit of $766.9M. Exports changed +5.4% year on year and +17.8% annualized over three years. Ores, slag and ash (HS2 26) was the largest displayed export sector by value.

Destination network

Where Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone
RankDestinationLatest exportsShareYear-on-year3-year CAGR
1ChinaCHN$852.9M58.3%-6.9%+35.2%
2NetherlandsNLD$137.6M9.4%+165.9%+49.8%
3IndiaIND$85.5M5.8%-6%+85.9%
4United Arab EmiratesARE$60.4M4.1%+88.9%-3.1%
5BelgiumBEL$48.1M3.3%-27.8%-32%
6GermanyDEU$40.7M2.8%+83.4%-17.6%
7JapanJPN$40.2M2.7%+24.4%+53.8%
8USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$27.6M1.9%+31.3%+24.5%
9United KingdomGBR$23.2M1.6%+131.6%+104.1%
10FranceFRA$21.0M1.4%+141.7%+93.2%

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
$1.7B
2014
$2.0B
2015
$617.2M
2016
$773.5M
2017
$781.9M
2018
$671.8M
2019
$644.7M
2020
$534.8M
2021
$894.7M
2022
$1.2B
2023
$1.4B
2024
$1.5B

Partner network

Scale is only one part of export capability

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

FTA partner markets13Reported count
WTO partner markets169Reported count
EU partner markets28Reported count
Shared-border partners2Country context
Shared-language partners77Country context
Average partner distance7,560 kmCalculated average
Partners with FTA4.8%Calculated share
Applied tariff context0.1%Calculated average
MFN tariff context0.1%Calculated average
Tariff advantage+0.1 ppPreferential vs MFN

Exposure context

Signals to examine alongside export scale

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

Attention share77.8%

Covered value under attention

Critical share2.6%

Covered value marked critical

Below historical peak35.2%

Distance below route peaks

FTA-covered exports0.3%

Covered value with FTA context

Weighted tariff context0.2%

Export-weighted tariff

Macro contextMacro trend weakened

Primary attention driver: Market access exposure.

Momentum score9.1

History-based indicator

Partner concentration3,580.8

Partner HHI

Product concentration2,892.7

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 Iso3SLE
Exports Usd$1.5B
Imports Usd$2.2B
Trade Balance Usd-$766.9M
Yoy Exports Growth Pct5.4%
Yoy Imports Growth Pct12.1%
Exports Cagr 3y Pct17.8%
Imports Cagr 3y Pct10.4%
Export Partner Hhi3,580.8
Export Product Hhi2,892.7
Momentum Score9.1
Risk Score32.4
Gdp Million Usd6,971.13 million USD
Gdp Per Capita Usd$806.7
Population8,642,022
Labor Force3,039.9
Investment Rate Pct16.3%
Savings Rate Pct-11.7%
Secondary Education Pct44.6%
Tertiary Education Pct4.9%
Total Factor Productivity149
Trade Openness Pct77.2%
Exports Gdp Pct30.6%
Num Active Partners270
Num Fta Partners13
Num Wto Partners169
Num Eu Partners28
Num Shared Border Partners2
Num Shared Language Partners77
Avg Partner Distance Km7,560 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 Fta5
Pct Partners Shared Language29
Pct Partners Shared Border1
Avg Applied Tariff Pct0.1%
Avg Mfn Tariff Pct0.1%
Avg Preferential Tariff Pct0%
Tariff Advantage Pp+0.1 pp
Avg Distance All Partners Km7,491
Num Border Partners50
Num Colonial Partners25
Avg Substitution Elasticity-8.4
Pct Products High Elasticity67
Pct Products Low Elasticity4
Real Market Potential63,755.5
Foreign Market Potential15,656.7

Exposure fields

Country Iso3SLE
All History Lane Count1,776
Current Lane Count229
Critical Lane Count2
High Attention Lane Count27
High Volatility Lane Count88
Unrecovered Drawdown Lane Count48
Declining Demand Lane Count1
Concentrated Market Lane Count82
Access Friction Lane Count40
Buyer Macro Weakness Lane Count22
Monitored Exports Current Usd$1.4B
Attention Exports Usd$1.1B
Critical Exports Usd$35.2M
High Volatility Exports Usd$1.2B
Unrecovered Drawdown Exports Usd$106.8M
Non Fta Exports Usd$1.3B
Monitored Attention Share Pct77.8%
Monitored Critical Share Pct2.6%
Fta Covered Exports Share Pct0.3%
Export Weighted Volatility Cv1.1
Export Weighted Below Peak Pct35.2%
Export Weighted Distance Km10,467 km
Export Weighted Tariff Pct0.2%
Latest Data Year2,024
First Data Year1,995
Country Years Count30
Total Exports Latest Usd$1.5B
Total Imports Latest Usd$2.2B
Trade Balance Latest Usd-$766.9M
Exports Yoy Latest Pct5.4%
Exports Cagr 3y Latest Pct17.8%
Gdp Latest Million Usd6,971.13 million USD
Gdp Per Capita Latest Usd$806.7
Population Latest8,642,022
Investment Rate Latest Pct16.3%
Savings Rate Latest Pct-11.7%
Trade Openness Latest Pct77.2%
Exports Gdp Latest Pct30.6%
Active Partners Latest270
Fta Partners Latest13
Foreign Market Potential Latest15,656.7
Gdp 5y Cagr Pct1.3%
Gdp Per Capita 5y Cagr Pct-0.9%
Population 5y Cagr Pct2.3%
Partner Hhi Latest3,580.8
Partner Top1 Share Latest Pct58.3%
Partner Top3 Share Latest Pct73.6%
Partner Hhi All Avg2,283.3
Partner Hhi All Max5,672.5
Product Hhi Latest2,892.7
Product Top1 Share Latest Pct50.8%
Product Top3 Share Latest Pct71.4%
Product Hhi All Avg1,854.2
Product Hhi All Max5,448.4
Total Exports Attention Share Pct72%
Total Exports Critical Share Pct2.4%
Attention LevelHigh attention
Primary Risk DriverMarket access exposure
Macro Resilience LabelMacro trend weakened

Annual country history

YearExportsImportsTrade balanceExports YoYExports CAGR 3Y
1995$71.6M$207.2M-$135.6MNot reportedNot reported
1996$91.7M$255.1M-$163.4M+28.1%Not reported
1997$74.2M$174.2M-$100.1M-19.1%Not reported
1998$48.6M$145.1M-$96.6M-34.5%-12.1%
1999$78.3M$151.1M-$72.9M+61.2%-5.1%
2000$133.2M$282.0M-$148.8M+70.2%+21.6%
2001$87.7M$372.9M-$285.2M-34.2%+21.8%
2002$158.2M$507.2M-$349.0M+80.3%+26.4%
2003$196.7M$487.5M-$290.8M+24.3%+13.9%
2004$224.5M$461.4M-$236.9M+14.2%+36.8%
2005$220.5M$568.8M-$348.3M-1.8%+11.7%
2006$278.7M$477.8M-$199.1M+26.4%+12.3%
2007$377.5M$620.7M-$243.2M+35.4%+18.9%
2008$349.1M$762.0M-$412.9M-7.5%+16.5%
2009$255.4M$668.1M-$412.8M-26.9%-2.9%
2010$338.7M$809.3M-$470.6M+32.6%-3.6%
2011$471.8M$1.5B-$1.0B+39.3%+10.6%
2012$923.2M$1.5B-$601.5M+95.7%+53.5%
2013$1.7B$1.2B$534.7M+86%+71.8%
2014$2.0B$2.1B-$42.6M+17%+62.1%
2015$617.2M$1.8B-$1.2B-69.3%-12.6%
2016$773.5M$1.1B-$305.8M+25.3%-23.3%
2017$781.9M$1.2B-$393.3M+1.1%-27%
2018$671.8M$1.2B-$522.9M-14.1%+2.9%
2019$644.7M$1.0B-$375.2M-4%-5.9%
2020$534.8M$1.2B-$691.8M-17.1%-11.9%
2021$894.7M$1.7B-$759.9M+67.3%+10%
2022$1.2B$1.8B-$586.6M+34.9%+23.2%
2023$1.4B$2.0B-$599.9M+15%+37.4%
2024$1.5B$2.2B-$766.9M+5.4%+17.8%

Top export sectors

RankHS2SectorExportsShareExport partnersActive HS6
126Ores, slag and ash$1.0B68.5%2631
271Precious stones and metals$161.1M11%2321
318Cocoa and cocoa preparations$137.6M9.4%259
485Electrical machinery$21.6M1.5%106258
515Animal and vegetable fats$16.5M1.1%3028
684Machinery$14.8M1%101496
709Coffee, tea and spices$12.0M0.8%3635
872Iron and steel$11.0M0.7%16158
976Aluminium$10.8M0.7%2828
1003Fish and crustaceans$8.6M0.6%1777

Detailed HS4 export lines

RankHS4Parent HS2ExportsShareActive HS6
12601Ores, slag and ash (26)$742.4M50.8%3
22614Ores, slag and ash (26)$165.8M11.3%1
37102Precious stones and metals (71)$142.3M9.7%4
41801Cocoa and cocoa preparations (18)$135.8M9.3%1
52615Ores, slag and ash (26)$44.1M3%2
62606Ores, slag and ash (26)$22.1M1.5%1
72617Ores, slag and ash (26)$20.7M1.4%1
87108Precious stones and metals (71)$18.1M1.2%2
91511Animal and vegetable fats (15)$13.7M0.9%2
100901Coffee, tea and spices (09)$11.7M0.8%5
117204Iron and steel (72)$9.5M0.6%7
127602Aluminium (76)$8.1M0.6%1

Top export destinations

RankDestinationISO3ExportsShareYoYCAGR 3Y
1ChinaCHN$852.9M58.3%-6.9%+35.2%
2NetherlandsNLD$137.6M9.4%+165.9%+49.8%
3IndiaIND$85.5M5.8%-6%+85.9%
4United Arab EmiratesARE$60.4M4.1%+88.9%-3.1%
5BelgiumBEL$48.1M3.3%-27.8%-32%
6GermanyDEU$40.7M2.8%+83.4%-17.6%
7JapanJPN$40.2M2.7%+24.4%+53.8%
8USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$27.6M1.9%+31.3%+24.5%
9United KingdomGBR$23.2M1.6%+131.6%+104.1%
10FranceFRA$21.0M1.4%+141.7%+93.2%

Destination risk context

RankDestinationAttentionAttention shareBelow peakApplied tariffPrimary reason
1Belgium (BEL)Critical attention99.3%82.4%0.9%Current trade remains materially below historical peaks
2Ireland (IRL)Critical attention73.1%50%0.9%Current trade remains materially below historical peaks
3China (CHN)High attention95.2%43%28.8%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
4India (IND)High attention95.9%6.7%53.2%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
5Germany (DEU)High attention97.4%45.8%0.9%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
6Japan (JPN)High attention99%24.1%1.4%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
7United Kingdom (GBR)High attention71.9%0.3%Not reportedVolatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
8Republic of Korea (KOR)High attention56.1%39.1%13.3%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
9Senegal (SEN)High attention87.5%61.9%12.4%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
10Lebanon (LBN)High attention97.1%1.9%9.1%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure

Emerging corridor signals

RankDestinationHS6SignalMarket importsCurrent shareStrength
1Japan (JPN)260112new$767.3M0%100
2Japan (JPN)260111new$8.3B0%100
3Indonesia (IDN)600410new$512.1M0%100
4France (FRA)842641new$31.8M0.7%100
5Canada (CAN)200949new$9.1M1.9%100
6Central African Republic (CAF)880390new$188.4K55.2%100
7Mozambique (MOZ)842790new$4.7M3.1%100
8Spain (ESP)722810new$14.5M1.3%100
9Austria (AUT)851531new$43.6M0.9%100
10Japan (JPN)262099new$150.0M0.1%100

Market opportunity signals

RankMarketHS6Buyer importsAddressable 3-year valueCurrent shareSignal
1China (CHN)260111$111.0B$117.9B0.7%Growing (-2.6%)
2India (IND)270900$130.1B$72.9B0.1%Declining (-0.5%)
3China (CHN)854232$80.6B$65.7B0%Declining (+20.6%)
4China (CHN)854239$81.8B$61.4B0%Declining (+4%)
5USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)851712$53.9B$53.8B0%Declining (-8.8%)
6USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)847150$53.9B$45.6B0%Growing (+60.2%)
7China (CHN)260300$62.6B$35.3B0%Declining (+11%)
8USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)847130$42.7B$33.3B0%Growing (+6.2%)

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 1995 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

Sierra Leone export capability, in context

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

What does the Sierra Leone export profile measure?

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

What is the latest reported export value for Sierra Leone?

Sierra Leone recorded $1.5B in reported exports in 2024.

Which markets receive the most exports from Sierra Leone?

China leads by reported export value at $852.9M in 2024. Five destination lanes are highlighted.

Which sectors lead Sierra Leone's exports?

Ores, slag and ash leads by reported value at $1.0B. Five HS2 chapters are highlighted.

How many years of Sierra Leone trade history are available?

This sample contains 30 observed annual rows covering 1995 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.