Burkina Faso Import Trade Data: $5.88B in 2023, Up 4.1%

Côte d'Ivoire and China Lead a Diversified Supplier List

Burkina Faso imported $5.88 billion worth of goods in 2023, the latest year with verified trade data in this dataset. That total marks a rise of 4.1% from the $5.65 billion recorded in 2022, a modest gain following a much sharper increase the year before. Côte d’Ivoire was the largest supplier, providing 13.9% of the total, worth $816.68 million.

China ranked a close second at 13.7% ($807.47 million), ahead of Russia at 8.9% ($523.90 million) and France at 7.4% ($433.16 million). Ghana took fifth place at 6.4% ($375.64 million), followed by India at 5.7% ($337.83 million) and the United States at 4.2% ($244.18 million). Togo took eighth place at 3.5% ($206.22 million), Belgium added 3.5% ($203.54 million), and the Netherlands rounded out the top ten at 2.9% ($168.29 million). Together, the top three suppliers made up 36.5% of total import value.

Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana's presence near the top of the list reflects Burkina Faso's landlocked geography, with both countries hosting the coastal ports the country depends on for the large majority of its seaborne trade, alongside Togo further down the list. Russia's third-place position marks a significant shift. Trading Economics tracks Burkina Faso's imports of mineral fuels and related products from Russia climbing to $721.78 million in 2024 alone, part of a broader realignment following the military government's decision to sever security ties with France in 2023 and deepen cooperation with Russia instead. France's fourth-place ranking shows the older relationship has not disappeared entirely, even as the political relationship has cooled. China's near-tie for the top spot reflects manufactured goods, machinery, and infrastructure-related imports common across West African economies with growing Chinese trade ties. Ghana, India, and the USA round out the middle of the list with a mix of manufactured goods and specialty products, while Belgium and the Netherlands in the bottom two spots likely reflect European goods routed through major ports before the final overland leg into landlocked Burkina Faso.

Fuel Imports Dominate a Landlocked Economy's Import Bill

Mineral fuels, mineral oils and related distillation products led all import categories in 2023, worth $2.33 billion and accounting for 39.6% of total import value, more than five times the next largest category. Machinery and mechanical appliances followed at 6.9% ($403.86 million), and electrical machinery and equipment ranked third at 5.8% ($342.13 million).

Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock added 5.1% ($301.93 million), while salt, sulphur, earths, stone and cement materials contributed 4.2% ($249.39 million). Pharmaceutical products brought in 4.2% ($249.28 million), and cereals added 3.9% ($226.97 million). Iron or steel articles contributed 3.4% ($198.63 million), iron and steel added 2.4% ($142.81 million), and fertilizers closed out the top ten at 2.0% ($117.57 million).

Fuel's overwhelming share reflects a landlocked country with no domestic oil production or refining capacity, meaning every liter of gasoline and diesel used for transport, mining equipment, and power generation has to be shipped in from elsewhere. Machinery, electrical equipment, and vehicles further down the list point to steady demand for industrial and transport goods, much of it tied to the same gold mining sector that dominates Burkina Faso's export earnings. Cereals and fertilizers reflect ongoing food import needs and agricultural inputs for a country where cotton and other crops remain economically important beyond gold. Pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, and construction materials round out a list weighted toward basic goods that a smaller, landlocked economy typically cannot produce domestically at any real scale.

A Steady Climb Over Five Years

Burkina Faso's imports followed a mostly upward path over the past five years. Imports eased slightly from $4.26 billion in 2019 to $4.18 billion in 2020, a period when many countries saw larger swings from pandemic-related disruptions, then climbed to $4.71 billion in 2021 and further to $5.65 billion in 2022, before rising another 4.1% to a five-year high of $5.88 billion in 2023.

Unlike the export side, where the 2023 figure eased from a 2021 peak, imports have climbed in every year since 2020, reaching a new high in the most recent year even as export growth cooled. For a closer look at how individual partner countries or product categories break down year over year, the data panels above provide the full detail behind these figures.