Food Is Not the Main Imported Item into Africa

Machinery And Equipment ‖ Chemicals ‖ Petroleum Products ‖ Scientific Instruments ‖ Foodstuffs

Top 5 Imported Commodities of Africa

Food is not the main imported item into Africa however, machinery and equipment tops the list. The main imported commodities of Africa are machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments and foodstuffs. Recent growth in economy of Africa is due to growth in soft commodities, services, and manufacturing. Africa is the world’s fastest-growing continent by population and economy and is expected to rise by an average of over 6 percent a year.

Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa with the largest economy, followed by South Africa and Egypt while Oil-rich countries such as Equatorial Guinea, Angola have Africa's highest GDP per capita along with Algeria, Libya and Gabon, and mineral-rich Botswana.

List of African Nations and their top imports and import partners

Sewing T Shirts in Ghana

Algeria

·        Imports - commodities: capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

·        Imports - partners: France 18.7 percent, China 9 percent, Italy 8.5 percent, Spain 6 percent, US 5.5 percent, Germany 5.3 percent, Russia 4.6 percent, Turkey 4.1 percent

Angola

·        Imports - commodities: machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts; medicines, food, textiles, military goods

·        Imports - partners: Portugal 19.3 percent, China 14.7 percent, US 12.3 percent, Brazil 8.3 percent, South Africa 5.4 percent, France 4.3 percent

Benin

·        Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products

·        Imports - partners: China 39.8 percent, US 14 percent, Thailand 6.9 percent, France 6.9 percent, Malaysia 4.2 percent

Botswana

·        Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products

Burkina Faso

·        Imports - commodities: capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum

·        Imports - partners: Cote d'Ivoire 26.4 percent, France 18.2 percent, Togo 7.3 percent, Libya 4.2 percent

Burundi

·        Imports - commodities: capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs

·        Imports - partners: Saudi Arabia 18.3 percent, Kenya 10.7 percent, Belgium 7.9 percent, France 5.8 percent, Uganda 5.1 percent, China 4.9 percent, India 4.5 percent, Germany 4.3 percent

Cameroon

·        Imports - commodities: machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food

·        Imports - partners: France 21.6 percent, Nigeria 14.2 percent, China 9.2 percent, Belgium 6.2 percent

Cape Verde

·        Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels

·        Imports - partners: Portugal 39.5 percent, Netherlands 11.4 percent, Spain 6.5 percent, UK 6.3 percent, Cote d'Ivoire 4.4 percent, Brazil 4 percent

Central African Republic

·        Imports - commodities: food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals

·        Imports - partners: France 17.3 percent, Cameroon 9.8 percent, Netherlands 7.3 percent, US 6.7 percent

Chad

·        Imports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles

·        Imports - partners: France 19.2 percent, Cameroon 16.2 percent

Comoros

·        Imports - commodities: rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, cement, transport equipment

·        Imports - partners: Brazil 13.5 percent, France 13.2 percent, China 10.5 percent, UAE 9.2 percent, South Africa 6.1 percent, Italy 5.3 percent, Pakistan 5.3 percent, Singapore 4.2 percent, Kenya 4.2 percent

Dem Rep of the Congo

·     Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels

·   Imports - partners: South Africa 22.1 percent, Belgium 11.5 percent, Zambia 8.3 percent, Zimbabwe 7 percent, Kenya 5.9 percent, China 5.6 percent, France 5.4 percent

Cote D’ivoire

·        Imports - commodities: fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs

·        Imports - partners: Nigeria 32 percent, France 15.1 percent, China 7.8 percent

Djibouti

·        Imports - commodities: foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products

·        Imports - partners: Saudi Arabia 22.1 percent, India 16.6 percent, China 9.1 percent, US 6.5 percent, Malaysia 4.5 percent, Ethiopia 4.3 percent

Egypt

·        Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels

·        Imports - partners: US 11.7 percent, China 9.7 percent, Italy 6.4 percent, Germany 6.3 percent, Saudi Arabia 4.7 percent, Russia 4.3 percent

Equatorial Guinea

·        Imports - commodities: petroleum sector equipment, other equipment

·        Imports - partners: Spain 15.2 percent, US 13.4 percent, France 12.4 percent, Cote d'Ivoire 11.9 percent, China 10.4 percent, Italy 6.3 percent, UK 5.8 percent

Eritrea

·        Imports - commodities: machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

·        Imports - partners: Italy 16.9 percent, UAE 15.7 percent, China 13 percent, India 9.4 percent, US 6.7 percent, Germany 6 percent, Turkey 5 percent

Ethiopia

·        Imports - commodities: food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles

·        Imports - partners: China 19.5 percent, Saudi Arabia 17.9 percent, India 7.2 percent, US 5 percent, Italy 4.4 percent

Gabon

·        Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials

·        Imports - partners: France 32.1 percent, US 11.1 percent, China 5.2 percent, Belgium 4.6 percent, Cameroon 4.4 percent, Netherlands 4.2 percent

The Gambia

·        Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment

·        Imports - partners: China 22.7 percent, Senegal 11.7 percent, Cote d'Ivoire 8.4 percent, Brazil 7.4 percent, Netherlands 4.9 percent

Ghana

·        Imports - commodities: capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs

·        Imports - partners: China 15.9 percent, Nigeria 15.8 percent, US 5.9 percent, France 4.7 percent, UK 4.7 percent

Guinea

·        Imports - commodities: petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs

·        Imports - partners: China 10.3 percent, France 7.8 percent, Netherlands 7.6 percent

Guinea-Bissau

·        Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products

·        Imports - partners: Portugal 24.6 percent, Senegal 17.3 percent, Pakistan 4.8 percent, France 4.6 percent, Cuba 4 percent

Kenya

·        Imports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics

·        Imports - partners: UAE 12.5 percent, China 10.5 percent, Saudi Arabia 8.7 percent, India 8.3 percent, South Africa 6.6 percent, Japan 5.6 percent, US 4.2 percent

Lesotho

·        Imports - commodities: food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products

·        Imports - partners: China 31.1 percent, Taiwan 23.5 percent, Hong Kong 19.4 percent, India 13.8 percent, Germany 5.2 percent

Liberia

·        Imports - commodities: fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs

·        Imports - partners: South Korea 27.5 percent, Singapore 25.2 percent, Japan 11.6 percent, China 11.2 percent

Libya

·        Imports - commodities: machinery, semi-finished goods, food, transport equipment, consumer products

·        Imports - partners: Italy 18.9 percent, Germany 7.7 percent, China 7.3 percent, Tunisia 6.8 percent, France 5.7 percent, Turkey 5.4 percent, US 4.3 percent

Madagascar

·        Imports - commodities: capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food

·        Imports - partners: China 16.3 percent, France 12.1 percent, Iran 8.3 percent, South Africa 6 percent, Mauritius 4.3 percent

Malawi

·        Imports - commodities: food, petroleum products, semi manufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment

·        Imports - partners: South Africa 35.7 percent, India 8.1 percent, China 7.2 percent, Tanzania 5.8 percent, US 4.5 percent

Mali

·        Imports - commodities: food, petroleum products, semi manufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment

·        Imports - partners: South Africa 35.7 percent, India 8.1 percent, China 7.2 percent, Tanzania 5.8 percent, US 4.5 percent

Mauritania

·        Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

·        Imports - partners: France 16.3 percent, China 8.4 percent, Netherlands 6.2 percent, Spain 5.9 percent, Belgium 5.2 percent, US 4.9 percent, Brazil 4.4 percent

Mauritius

·        Imports - commodities: manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

·        Imports - partners: India 21.2 percent, China 11.4 percent, France 10.7 percent, South Africa 7.4 percent

Morocco

·        Imports - commodities: crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment, wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics

·        Imports - partners: France 16.1 percent, Spain 13.6 percent, China 7.3 percent, Italy 6.7 percent, Saudi Arabia 6.4 percent, Germany 5.9 percent, US 4.5 percent, Netherlands 4.1 percent

Mozambique

·        Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles

·        Imports - partners: South Africa 36.7 percent, Australia 8.5 percent, China 4.6 percent

Namibia

·        Imports - commodities: foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals

·        Imports - partners: South Africa 85.2 percent, US 

Niger

·        Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals

·        Imports - partners: France 19.4 percent, Nigeria 8.6 percent, China 8.5 percent, French Polynesia 7.6 percent, Belgium 5 percent, Cote d'Ivoire 4.9 percent

Nigeria

·        Imports - commodities: machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals

·        Imports - partners: China 10.6 percent, Netherlands 7.9 percent, US 7.8 percent, South Korea 6.6 percent, UK 5.7 percent, France 4.3 percent, Brazil 4.2 percent, Germany 4.1 percent

Rwanda

·        Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material

·        Imports - partners: Kenya 17.1 percent, China 6.2 percent, Uganda 6 percent, Belgium 5.9 percent, Germany 5.1 percent

Sao Tome and Principe

·        Imports - commodities: machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products

·        Imports - partners: Portugal 62.2 percent, US 11.6 percent, Gabon 4.5 percent

Senegal

·        Imports - commodities: food and beverages, capital goods, fuels

·        Imports - partners: France 22.2 percent, Netherlands 10 percent, China 7.4 percent, UK 6.2 percent, Thailand 5.2 percent, Belgium 4.5 percent

Seychelles

·        Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

·        Imports - partners: Saudi Arabia 18.3 percent, Singapore 12.9 percent, France 10.8 percent, Spain 8.5 percent, Germany 7.4 percent, South Africa 5.7 percent

Sierra Leone

·        Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals

·        Imports - partners: China 10.5 percent, Cote d'Ivoire 8.9 percent, US 7.9 percent, Belgium 6.7 percent, UK 6.7 percent, Thailand 5.2 percent, India 4.2 percent

South Africa

·        Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs

·        Imports - partners: Germany 10.9 percent, China 10 percent, Spain 8.2 percent, US 7.2 percent, Japan 6.1 percent, UK 4.5 percent, Saudi Arabia 4.2 percent

Sudan

·        Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat

·        Imports - partners: China 24.9 percent, Saudi Arabia 8 percent, UAE 5.9 percent, India 5.8 percent, Egypt 5.3 percent

South Sudan – no information

Swaziland

·        Imports - commodities: motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

·        Imports - partners: South Africa 95.6 percent, EU 0.9 percent, Japan 0.9 percent (2006)

Tanzania

·        Imports - commodities: consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial raw materials, crude oil

·        Imports - partners: China 14.5 percent, South Africa 7.3 percent, Kenya 7.2 percent, India 6.3 percent, UAE 6.1 percent

Togo

·        Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products

·        Imports - partners: China 39.1 percent, Netherlands 7.9 percent, France 7.2 percent, Thailand 5.1 percent

Tunisia

·        Imports - commodities: textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs

·        Imports - partners: France 23.8 percent, Italy 21.9 percent, Germany 9.7 percent, Spain 5 percent, Libya 4.4 percent

Uganda

·        Imports - commodities: capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals

·        Imports - partners: Kenya 31.8 percent, China 7.8 percent, UAE 7.7 percent, South Africa 5.9 percent, India 5.2 percent, Japan 4.8 percent

Zambia

·        Imports - commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing

·        Imports - partners: South Africa 49.3 percent, China 8.2 percent, UAE 7.9 percent, India 4.4 percent

Zimbabwe

·        Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals, fuels

·        Imports - partners: South Africa 52.2 percent, China 7 percent, Botswana 4.5 percent

Port of Dar es Salaam is the principal port serving Tanzania