Malawi Trade Profile

Trade Indicators

Indicated figures are in US dollars.

  In   Milion USD
  2013 2014 2015 2016
         
Gross   Domestic Product          3,275        5,384        4,768        6,611
         
Export of   Goods (fob)          1,261        1,512        1,469        1,466
Import of   Goods (fob)          2,675        2,753        2,512        2,416
         
Merchandise   Trade Balance -       1,415 -     1,241 -     1,042 -         951
         
Export of   Services            110          110          116            94
Import of   Services            242          269          298          250
         
Service Trade   Balance -           132 -         160 -         181 -         156
         
Overall Trade   Balance -       1,547 -     1,400 -     1,224 -     1,107
         
Merchandise   Foreign Trade as % GDP 120% 79% 83% 59%
Total Foreign     Trade as % GDP 131% 86% 92% 64%
Exports of   Good as % GDP 38% 28% 31% 22%
Imports of   Goods as % GDP 82% 51% 53% 37%
Exports of   Goods & Services as %   GDP 42% 30% 33% 24%
Imports of   Good & Services as %   GDP 89% 56% 59% 40%
         
Source: 2016 annual economic report and MITC calculations

Main Exports & Imports


Main Export Product Share In 2015 Exports   Main Import Product Share in 2015 Imports
Tobacco 47%   Fertilizer 10%
Tea 5%   Diesel and other fuels 5%
Sugar 9%   Petroleum 4%
Cotton 0.70%   Paraffin 4%
Coffee 0.30%   Coal 0.20%
Pulses 5%      
Edible Nuts 8%      
Main Export Products Share in 2014 exports   Main Import Products Share in 2014 imports
Tobacco 42 %   Mineral Fuels and Oils 13%
Sugar 8%   Pharmaceuticals 9%
Groundnuts 8%   Fertilizers 8%
Dried Vegetables 5%      
         

 

Main Export Services Share in 2012 exports   Main Import Services Share in 2012 imports
Travel 30.9 %   Travel 30.3 %
Communications services 20.8 %   Transportation 24.4 %
Transportation 17.1 %   Other business services 14.1 %
Financial services 13.1 %   Insurance services 12.8 %
Other business services 7.3 %   Government services, n.i.e 10.8 %

 

Trading Partners

 

Main Buyers of Goods Share in 2014 exports   Main Suppliers of Goods Share in 2014 imports
Belgium 11.2 %   South Africa 18.8 %
South Africa 7.6 %   India 11.9 %
Zimbabwe 6.3 %   Mozambique 11.8 %
Mozambique 5.1 %   China 9.7 %
United Arab   Emirates 5.0 %   United Arab Emirates 5.5 %
Zambia 4.9 %   United Kingdom 4.1 %
Tanzania 4.7 %   United States of America 4.1 %

Source: Trade Map -Malawi