Located in West Africa bordered to its east by Nigeria and to its west by Togo, the Republic of Benin shipped US$827.1 million worth of exported products around the world in 2025.

That dollar amount results from a -19.4% reduction from $1 billion 5 years earlier in 2021.

Year over year, the overall value of Benin’s exported products slipped by -26.9% compared to $1.13 billion starting from 2024.

Based on the average exchange rate for 2025, Benin uses the West African CFA franc which appreciated by 4.4% against the US dollar since 2021 but depreciated by -4.5% from 2024 to 2025. Benin’s weaker local currency compared to 2024 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 83.3% of products exported from Benin was bought by importers in: Bangladesh (41.4% of Benin’s global total), India (8%), United States of America (6.4%), France (4.8%), Chad (3.9%), Nigeria (3.8%), United Arab Emirates (3.3%), Togo (2.6%), mainland China (2.39%), Burkina Faso (2.31%), Denmark (2.27%) and Mali (2.1%).

From a continental perspective, 59.2% of Benin’s exports by value was delivered to Asian countries while 22% was sold to importers in fellow African countries.

Benin shipped another 11.6% worth of goods to buyers in Europe.

Smaller percentages went to customers in North America (7.1%) and Latin America (0.04%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.

Given Benin’s population of 14.5 million people, its total US$827.1 million in 2025 exports translates to roughly $60 for every resident in the West African country. That dollar metric lags the average $80 per capita one year earlier during 2024.

Benin’s Top 10 Exports

The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Beninese global shipments during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Benin.

1. Cotton: US$419.4 million (50.7% of total exports)
2. Food industry waste, animal fodder: $83.4 million (10.1%)
3. Oil seeds: $53 million (6.4%)
4. Fruits, nuts: $45 million (5.4%)
5. Iron, steel: $44.9 million (5.4%)
6. Mineral fuels including oil: $34.7 million (4.2%)
7. Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $29.2 million (3.5%)
8. Vegetable/fruit/nut preparations: $22.6 million (2.7%)
9. Machinery including computers: $16.1 million (1.9%)
10. Vehicles: $10.5 million (1.3%)

Formerly called Dahomey, Benin’s top 10 exports accounted for 91.7% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Vehicles represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 57.2% from 2024 to 2025.

In second place for improving export sales was machinery including computers via a 41.4% advance.

Benin’s shipments of iron and steel posted the remaining gain in value, up by 14.8%.

The leading decliner among Benin’s top 10 export categories were oil seeds, thanks to a -70.1% year-over-year drop.

At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level Benin’s most valuable exported products in 2025 were uncarded and uncombed cotton (46.6%), solid residues including soya-bean oil cake (7.1%), oil seeds (5.7%), cashews and Brazil nuts (5.1%), bars and rods made from uncoiled iron or non-alloy steel (4.5%), processed petroleum oils (4.2%), miscellaneous oil cakes (2.7%), woven cotton fabrics (2.3%), miscellaneous preserved fruit (1.8%), then predominately cotton yarn (1.6%).

Products Generating Benin’s Best Trade Surpluses

The following types of Beninese product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus during 2025. 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$399.8 million (Down by -21.1% since 2024)
2. Food industry waste, animal fodder: $76.1 million (Down by -20.4%)
3. Oil seeds: $50.1 million (Down by -71.3%)
4. Fruits, nuts: $41.7 million (Down by -12.8%)
5. Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $20.8 million (Down by -45.4%)
6. Vegetable/fruit/nut preparations: $7.9 million (Down by -32.9%)
7. Vegetable plaiting materials: $1.4 million (Down by -71.9%)
8. Live trees, plants, cut flowers: $194,000 (Up by 39.6%)

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$3 billion trade deficit for 2025, expanding by 18.9% from -$2.55 billion in red ink one year earlier in 2024.

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$921.6 million (Up by 22.7% since 2024)
2. Mineral fuels including oil: -$439.5 million (Down by -24.2%)
3. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$255.5 million (Up by 22.2%)
4. Machinery including computers: -$254.4 million (Down by -19.1%)
5. Pharmaceuticals: -$173.4 million (Up by 12.7%)
6. Vehicles: -$159.2 million (Up by 13.4%)
7. Fertilizers: -$116 million (Up by 2.1%)
8. Fish: -$112.5 million (Up by 18.2%)
9. Articles of iron or steel: -$105.8 million (Down by -2.1%)
10. Ships, boats: -$105.4 million (Up by 9,118%)

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 1.6% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2025 ($69.5 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 1.6% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2025 compares to 1.7% for 2024. These percentages suggest a relatively decreasing 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 2025 averaged 1.6%, mirroring the average 1.6% for 2024 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 November 3, 2026

EXCHANGE-RATES.org CFA BCEAO Franc (XOF) To US Dollar (USD), Exchange Rate History. Accessed on November 3, 2026

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on November 3, 2026

International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on November 3, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 3, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on November 3, 2026

Wikipedia, Benin. Accessed on November 3, 2026

Wikipedia, List of Companies of Benin. Accessed on November 3, 2026