![\"African_export_and_import_shares_with_main_partners,_2020_update\"](\"https:\/\/azafinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/African_export_and_import_shares_with_main_partners_2020_update-300x185.png\")
<\/p>\nIn 2020, Africa’s biggest trading partner was the European Union, which accounted for 33% of the continent’s exports to and 31% of its imports from non-African countries. China was the second-largest trading partner, with 17% of exports and 22% of imports. Trade within the African continent made up 18% of Africa’s total exports and 15% of its total imports.<\/p>\n
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Figure 1: African export and import shares with main partners, 2020 <\/span>(%)<\/span><\/p>\n In 2011, the European Union had a trade deficit of \u20ac9 billion with Africa, as imports from Africa were lower than exports to Africa (see Figure 2). This deficit expanded to \u20ac25 billion in 2012. However, from 2012 to 2016, imports from Africa declined significantly, transforming the trade deficit into a \u20ac33 billion trade surplus. This surplus then decreased to \u20ac8 billion in both 2018 and 2019. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a drop in exports by \u20ac20 billion and imports by \u20ac36 billion, resulting in an increased trade surplus of \u20ac24 billion. By 2021, exports had risen by \u20ac21 billion and imports by \u20ac41 billion, which reduced the trade surplus to \u20ac4 billion.<\/p>\n Figure 2: EU, trade in goods with African countries, 2011-2021 <\/span>(\u20ac billion)<\/span><\/p>\n In 2011, manufactured goods constituted 72% of the EU’s exports to Africa (see Figure 3). By 2021, this percentage had decreased to 68%, while the proportion of primary goods increased from 27% to 31%. The reduction in the share of manufactured goods was primarily due to a decrease in the export of machinery and vehicles, which fell from 38% in 2011 to 32% in 2021. Meanwhile, the share of chemicals in the exports saw an increase during this period.<\/p>\n Figure 3: EU exports of goods to Africa by main product groups, 2021 <\/span>(shares of total exports in value)<\/span><\/p>\n Primary goods have been the dominant category for imports from Africa (see Figure 4). Nonetheless, their share declined from 76% in 2011 to 65% in 2021, largely because of the reduced proportion of energy imports, a change partially attributed to decreasing oil and gas prices. Over the same timeframe, the proportion of manufactured goods imported rose from 23% to 34%. This growth was mainly driven by an increase in the import of machinery and vehicles, which rose from 7% to 13%, and other manufactured goods, which increased from 13% to 16%.<\/p>\n Figure 4: EU imports of goods from Africa by main product groups, 2021 <\/span>(shares of total imports in value)<\/span><\/p>\n The value of goods the EU exported to Northern Africa increased from \u20ac59 billion in 2011 to \u20ac76 billion in 2021, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 2.6% (see Figure 5). The highest growth rate was observed in Eastern Africa at 2.7%, followed by Western Africa at 1.9% and Southern Africa at 0.2%. Conversely, exports to Middle Africa experienced a decline, with a growth rate of -3.3% during this period. Notably, exports to all African regions saw an uptick from 2020 to 2021.<\/p>\n Figure 5: EU exports of goods to African regions, 2011-2021 <\/span>(\u20ac billion)<\/span><\/p>\n Figure 6 illustrates the trends in imports from the five African regions, revealing a decrease in average annual imports from Middle Africa (-5.1%) and Western Africa (-1.4%) between 2011 and 2021. Both Eastern Africa and Northern Africa experienced identical growth rates of 1.5%, while imports from Southern Africa saw a more substantial increase at 4.3%. Mirroring the trend in exports, EU imports from all five African regions rose from 2020 to 2021.<\/p>\n Figure 6: EU imports of goods from African regions, 2011-2021 <\/span>(\u20ac billion)<\/span><\/p>\n![\"EU_trade_in_goods_with_African_countries,_2011_2021\"](\"https:\/\/azafinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/EU_trade_in_goods_with_African_countries_2011_-_2021-300x233.png\")
<\/p>\nManufactured goods dominate exports to Africa<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"EU_exports_of_goods_to_Africa_by_main_product_groups,_2021\"](\"https:\/\/azafinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/EU_exports_of_goods_to_Africa_by_main_product_groups_2021-300x223.png\")
<\/p>\nPrimary goods dominate imports from Africa<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"EU_imports_of_goods_from_Africa_by_main_product_groups,_2021\"](\"https:\/\/azafinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/EU_imports_of_goods_from_Africa_by_main_product_groups_2021-300x223.png\")
<\/p>\nNorthern Africa’s largest trade in goods partner<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"EU_exports_of_goods_to_African_regions,_2011_-_2021\"](\"https:\/\/azafinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/EU_exports_of_goods_to_African_regions_2011_-_2021-300x216.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"EU_imports_of_goods_from_African_regions,_2011_-_2021\"](\"https:\/\/azafinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/EU_imports_of_goods_from_African_regions_2011_-_2021-300x216.png\")
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