The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Chadian global shipments during 2019 at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Chad.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: US$996.7 million (94.2% of total exports)
2. Oil seeds: $33.8 million (3.2%)
3. Gums, resins, other vegetable saps: $21.5 million (2.0%)
4. Cotton: $1.4 million (0.1%)
5. Electrical machinery, equipment: $1 million (0.1%)
6. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $728,000 (0.1%)
7. Machinery including computers: $622,000 (0.1%)
8. Raw hides, skins not furskins, leather: $603,000 (0.1%)
9. Vehicles: $210,000 (0.02%)
10. Gems, precious metals: $210,000 (0.02%)

Chad’s top 10 exports accounted for 99.8% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Two of Chad’s leading exports grew in international revenues from 2018 to 2019 namely vehicles (up 311.8%), and oil seeds (up 36.5%).

The leading decliner among Chad’s top 10 export categories was the gems and precious metals which diminished -99.8% year over year weighed down by plummeting sales of jewelry.

Drilling down to 4-digit HTS codes, Chad’s most valuable exported goods in 2019 were crude oil (94.2% of its overall total), oil seeds (3.2%), natural gums, resins and balsams (2%), uncarded cotton (0.1%) and mobile phones (also 0.1%).

Chad generated an estimated $231.9 million product trade surplus for 2019, down by -75.1% from $932.8 million one year earlier.

The following types of Chadian product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. 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. Mineral fuels including oil: US$987.5 million (Down by -32.4% since 2018)
2. Oil seeds: $33.5 million (Up by 37.2%)
3. Gums, resins, other vegetable saps: $21.1 million (Down by -19.6%)
4. Raw hides, skins not furskins, leather: $577,000 (Down by -3.4%)
5. Silk: $74,000 (Reversing an -$11,000 deficit)
6. Ores, slag, ash: $1,000 (Reversing a -$48,000 deficit)

Chad has highly positive net exports principally in the international trade of crude petroleum oil. In turn, these cashflows indicate Chad’s competitive advantages under the mineral fuels-related product category.

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

1. Electrical machinery, equipment: -US$115.7 million (Up by 28.5% since 2018)
2. Machinery including computers: -$108.9 million (Down by -0.1%)
3. Vehicles: -$62.4 million (Up by 11.4%)
4. Articles of iron or steel: -$59.9 million (Up by 57.2%)
5. Pharmaceuticals: -$50.8 million (Down by -9.6%)
6. Other chemical goods: -$46.8 million (Down by -23%)
7. Tanning, dyes, paints, varnishes, ink: -$40.9 million (Up by 117.4%)
8. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$31.8 million (Up by 51.2%)
9. Aircraft, spacecraft: -$28.1 million (Up by 214.6%)
10. Plastics, plastic articles: -$25.3 million (Up by 44.5%)

Chad has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits under the electrical machinery and equipment category.

Chadian Export Companies

Not one Chadian corporation ranks among the Forbes Global 2000 listing.

Wikipedia also lists companies from Chad that participate in international trade transactions. Selected examples are shown below.

• Commercial Bank Chad (bank)
• Cotontchad (cotton)
• Mid Express Tchad (cargo airliner)