Burundi Import Trade Data: $1.18B in 2023, Down 6.2%

UAE, China, and Tanzania Lead a Diversified Supplier List

Burundi imported $1.18 billion worth of goods in 2023, the latest year with verified trade data in this dataset. That total marks a decline of 6.2% from the $1.26 billion recorded in 2022, easing from the highest annual figure in the five-year span this dataset covers. United Arab Emirates was the largest supplier, providing 16.8% of the total, worth $198.57 million.

China ranked second at 14.0% ($165.40 million), ahead of Tanzania at 12.6% ($149.27 million) and India at 7.1% ($83.82 million). Saudi Arabia took fifth place at 5.8% ($68.58 million), followed by an aggregated "areas not elsewhere specified" reporting category at 5.5% ($65.38 million) and Kenya at 4.8% ($56.48 million). Uganda took eighth place at 4.3% ($50.51 million), Japan added 3.6% ($42.04 million), and Belgium rounded out the top ten at 2.3% ($26.71 million). Together, the top three suppliers made up 43.4% of total import value.

The UAE's top position mirrors the same relationship that makes it Burundi's largest export destination, a pattern common to gold-exporting economies where Dubai functions as both the primary buyer of gold and a major re-export hub for fuel and general merchandise sold back the other way. Tanzania's third-place ranking, alongside Kenya and Uganda further down the list, reflects Burundi's status as a landlocked country. The Central Corridor running from the port of Dar es Salaam through Tanzania serves as one of Burundi's main routes to the ocean, alongside a similar corridor through Kenya's port of Mombasa, meaning much of what Burundi imports from farther afield still passes through these two East African neighbors before crossing the border. China's second-place position and Saudi Arabia's fifth-place ranking round out a supplier base weighted toward manufactured goods and, in Saudi Arabia's case, likely refined fuel products. India, Japan, and Belgium close out the top ten with smaller but still meaningful shares, spanning pharmaceuticals, machinery, and specialty manufactured goods that reach Burundi through a mix of the same regional corridors and longer international shipping routes.

Fuel and Fertilizer Anchor a Small Import Bill

Mineral fuels, mineral oils and related distillation products led all import categories in 2023, worth $263.58 million and accounting for 22.3% of total import value. Fertilizers followed at 8.3% ($98.72 million), and vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock ranked third at 7.2% ($84.57 million).

Machinery and mechanical appliances added 5.7% ($67.46 million), while electrical machinery and equipment contributed 5.7% ($66.86 million). Iron and steel brought in 4.6% ($54.22 million), and cereals added 3.9% ($46.63 million). Pharmaceutical products contributed 3.5% ($41.79 million), salt, sulphur, earths, stone and cement materials added 3.4% ($39.73 million), and plastics and articles thereof closed out the top ten at 2.9% ($34.47 million).

Fuel's leading position is consistent with Burundi having no domestic oil production or refining capacity, meaning all the petroleum products used for transport and power generation have to be shipped in over the same overland routes described above. Fertilizers' second-place position connects directly to Burundi's agricultural export economy, supporting the coffee farms and food crops that anchor rural livelihoods across the country's highlands. Vehicles, machinery, and electrical equipment further down the list point to steady demand for transport and industrial goods that a small, landlocked economy does not produce domestically. Cereals, pharmaceutical products, and construction materials round out a list weighted toward basic goods and food security needs rather than finished consumer products, a profile typical of a small economy still building out its industrial base rather than one importing largely for domestic manufacturing or export processing.

A Choppy Climb, Then a Pullback

Burundi's imports followed a mostly upward path over the past five years before pulling back. Imports climbed from $887.73 million in 2019 to $909.78 million in 2020, a period when many countries saw larger swings from pandemic-related disruptions, then rose to $1.03 billion in 2021 and further to a five-year high of $1.26 billion in 2022, before declining 6.2% to $1.18 billion in 2023.

Unlike the export side, which climbed to a new high in 2023, imports eased from the previous year's peak, a pattern that could reflect softer domestic demand, tighter foreign currency availability, or simply a pullback after an unusually strong 2022. For a closer look at how individual partner countries or product categories break down year over year in more detail, the data panels above provide the full picture behind these figures.