Located in West Africa bordered to its east by Nigeria and to its west by Togo, the Republic of Benin shipped US$1.11 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2024.

That dollar amount results from a 31.6% gain from $84.5 million 5 years earlier in 2020.

Year over year, the overall value of Benin’s exported products grew by 5.5% compared to $1.05 billion starting from 2023.

Based on the average exchange rate for 2024, Benin uses the West African CFA franc which depreciated by -4.9% against the US dollar since 2020 but remained stable from 2024 to 2024. Benin’s weaker local currency compared to 2020 makes its exports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively less expensive for international buyers starting with American currency.

Benin’s Major Trading Partners

The latest available country-specific data shows that 87.4% of products exported from Benin was bought by importers in: Bangladesh (43.2% of Benin’s global total), India (7.8%), Pakistan (6.8%), Denmark (6.2%), United States of America (5.4%), mainland China (4.2%), Chad (3.2%), Nigeria (2.8%), United Arab Emirates (2.7%), Togo (2.3%), Malaysia (1.6%) and Burkina Faso (1.3%).

From a continental perspective, 68.2% of Benin’s exports by value was delivered to Asian countries while 15.1% was sold to importers in fellow African countries. Benin shipped another 10.8% worth of goods to buyers in Europe.

Smaller percentages went to customers in North America (5.9%), Latin America (0.06%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania’s Guam (0.0001%).

Given Benin’s population of 14.1 million people, its total US$1.11 billion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $80 for every resident in the West African country. That dollar metric mirrors the average $80 per capita one year earlier during 2023.

Benin’s Top 10 Exports

The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Beninese global shipments during 2024. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Benin.

1. Cotton: US$525.7 million (47.2% of total exports)
2. Oil seeds: $173 million (15.5%)
3. Food industry waste, animal fodder: $96.3 million (8.7%)
4. Fruits, nuts: $50.7 million (4.6%)
5. Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $44.5 million (4%)
6. Iron, steel: $39.1 million (3.5%)
7. Mineral fuels including oil: $38.9 million (3.5%)
8. Vegetable/fruit/nut preparations: $24.4 million (2.2%)
9. Aircraft, spacecraft: $20.1 million (1.8%)
10. Wood: $15.1 million (1.4%)

Formerly called Dahomey, Benin’s top 10 exports accounted for 92.4% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Aircraft and spacecraft represents the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 95,791% from 2023 to 2024.

In second place for improving export sales was vegetable, fruit or nut preparations via a 140.1% advance.

Benin’s shipments of animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 111%.

The leading decliner among Benin’s top 10 export categories was fruits and nuts, pulled down by a -56.7% year-over-year drop.

At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level Benin’s most valuable exported products in 2024 were uncarded and uncombed cotton (45%), oil seeds (9,1%), solid residues including soya-bean oil cake (7.4%), soya beans (6.2%), cashews and Brazil nuts (4.3%), processed petroleum oils (3.5%), bars and rods made from uncoiled iron or non-alloy steel (2.2%), soya-bean oil (also 2.2%), aircraft and spacecraft (1.8%), then miscellaneous preserved fruit (also 1.8%).

Products Generating Benin’s Best Trade Surpluses

The following types of Beninese product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus during 2024. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Cotton: US$507.1 million (Up by 3.5% since 2023)
2. Oil seeds: $170.6 million (Up by 31.5%)
3. Food industry waste, animal fodder: $90.8 million (Up by 100.4%)
4. Fruits, nuts: $48.9 million (Down by -57.3%)
5. Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $36.4 million (Reversing a -$132.3 million deficit)
6. Vegetable/fruit/nut preparations: $12.1 million (Reversing a -$6. million deficit)
7. Wood: $8.2 million (Down by -41.9%)
8. Vegetable plaiting materials: $5.1 million (Up by 1068.1%)
9. Aircraft, spacecraft: $2.9 million (Reversing a -$840,000 deficit)
10. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $1.8 million (Reversing a -$1.1 million deficit)

Benin has highly positive net exports in the international trade of cotton. In turn, these cashflows indicate Benin’s strong competitive advantages under the related product category.

Products Causing Benin’s Worst Trade Deficits

Overall, Benin incurred a -US$2.25 billion trade deficit for 2024, reducing by -28.6% from -$3.16 billion in red ink one year earlier in 2023.

Below are exports from Benin that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Benin’s goods trail Beninese importer spending on foreign products.

1. Cereals: -US$747 million (Up by 8.5% since 2023)
2. Mineral fuels including oil: -$422.3 million (Down by -32.6%)
3. Machinery including computers: -$267.3 million (Down by -26.1%)
4. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$194.5 million (Down by -38.7%)
5. Pharmaceuticals: -$153.9 million (Up by 6.6%)
6. Vehicles: -$130.9 million (Down by -36.3%)
7. Fertilizers: -$113.6 million (Down by -16.9%)
8. Plastics, plastic articles: -$107 million (Up by 57.4%)
9. Fish: -$95.1 million (Down by -6.5%)
10. Other chemical goods: -$89.1 million (Down by -19.3%)

Benin has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits under the cereals and mineral fuels including oil product categories. Historically, the cereals deficit is mostly for rice and, to a lesser extent, wheat and corn.

Beninese Export Companies

Not surprising for a small African nation, no Beninese corporation ranks among Forbes Global 2000.

Wikipedia does list some exports-related companies from Benin. Selected examples are shown below.

• Compagnie Béninoise de Négoce et de Distribution (personal/household goods)
• COTAIR (airliner)
• Société Beninoise de Gaz (natural gas)
• Société Nationale de Commercialisation des Produits Pétroliers (oil, gas)

 
In macroeconomic terms, Benin’s total exported goods represent 1.7% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2024 ($63.6 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 1.7% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2024 compares to 1.5% for 2023. These percentages suggest a relatively increasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Benin’s total economic performance, albeit based on a short timeframe.

One lagging indicator of an economy’s health is its unemployment rate. Benin’s jobless rate in 2024 averaged 1.35%, down from an average 1.4% for 2023 based on Trading Economics metrics.

Benin’s capital city is Porto-Novo.

See also Cotton Exports by Country, OPEC Countries Crude Oil Exports Sales Data, Rice Imports by Country and Top Almonds Exporters by Country

Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on January 7, 2026

EXCHANGE-RATES.org CFA BCEAO Franc (XOF) To US Dollar (USD), Exchange Rate History. Accessed on January 7, 2026

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on January 7, 2026

International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on January 7, 2026

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on January 7, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 7, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on January 7, 2026

Wikipedia, Benin. Accessed on January 7, 2026

Wikipedia, List of Companies of Benin. Accessed on January 7, 2026