Eritrean imports were worth a total US$216.6 million in 2021. That estimated dollar amount reflects a -46.7% decline from $406.6 million during 2017.

Year over year, the overall cost of Eritrea’s imported products fell by -40.1% compared to $361.7 million during 2020.

Eritrea’s biggest spending on imported goods was focused on 5 commodities. These were wheat and meslin, sorghum grain, wheat or meslin flour, new rubber tires, and trucks. Collectively, that quintet of major imported products represents more than one-fifth (27.3%) of overall spending on Eritrean imports during 2021.

Given Eritrea ‘s population of 3.6 million people, its total $216.6 million worth of 2021 imports translates to roughly $60 in yearly product demand from every person in the small African country. That dollar metric falls below the average $80 per capita one year earlier during 2020.

Eritrea’s Top 10 Imports

The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Eritrea’s import purchases during 2021, at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Eritrea.

1. Machinery including computers: US$35.9 million (16.6% of total imports)
2. Cereals: $27.9 million (12.9%)
3. Vehicles: $15.7 million (7.3%)
4. Milling products, malt, starches: $14.8 million (6.8%)
5. Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $12.7 million (5.9%)
6. Electrical machinery, equipment: $12.1 million (5.6%)
7. Rubber, rubber articles: $11.5 million (5.3%)
8. Articles of iron or steel: $10.2 million (4.7%)
9. Pharmaceuticals: $8.6 million (4%)
10. Inorganic chemicals: $7.4 million (3.4%)

Eritrea’s top 10 imports accounted for almost three-quarters (72.4%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.

Cereals posted the fastest increase in value among the top 10 import categories, up 68.9% from 2020 to 2021. That increase resulted mostly from higher Eritrean imports of wheat and meslin.

In second place for improving import sales were imported chemicals, via a 29.1% gain.

Animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes appreciated by 13.1% year over year.

Leading the decliners were Eritrea’s imports of milling products, malt and starches weighed down by a -65.4% reduction.

Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Information presented under the sections below is at the more granular 4-digit level.

Eritrea’s Top Machinery Imports

In 2021, Eritrean importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.

1. Machinery parts: US$5.9 million (down -33.7% from 2020)
2. Sort/screen/washing machinery: $4 million (down -40.4%)
3. Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $3.9 million (down -26%)
4. Move/grade/scrape/boring machinery: $2.9 million (up 3,908%)
5. Liquid pumps and elevators: $2.04 million (down -20.1%)
6. Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $1.97 million (down -36.1%)
7. Machine-tool for metal: $1.4 million (up 6,700%)
8. Miscellaneous engines, motors: $1.03 million (down -46.5%)
9. Miscellaneous machinery: $1.02 million (down -79.8%)
10. Air or vacuum pumps: $975,000 (down -4.3%)
11. Computers, optical readers: $971,000 (down -63.9%)

Among these import subcategories, Eritrean purchases of machine-tool for metal (up 6,700%) and moving, grading, scraping or boring machinery (up 3,908%) grew from 2020 to 2021.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Eritrean businesses and consumers.

Eritrea’s Top Cereals Imports

In 2021, Eritrean importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of cereals.

1. Wheat and meslin: US$14.1 million (up 471,233% from 2020)
2. Sorghum grain: $13.7 million (down -8.5%)
3. Rice: $10,000 (down -99.3%)

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported cereals among Eritrean businesses and consumers.

Eritrea’s Top Vehicles Imports

In 2021, Eritrean importers spent the most on the following subcategories of vehicles.

1. Trucks: US$8.7 million (down -46.3% from 2020)
2. Automobile parts/accessories: $3.1 million (down -37.2%)
3. Special purpose vehicles: $1.3 million (down -20.1%)
4. Tractors: $1.3 million (down -50.3%)
5. Trailers: $718,000 (down -41%)
6. Work trucks: $186,000 (down -17%)
7. Cars: $162,000 (down -86.2%)
8. Motorcycles: $135,000 (down -46%)
9. Motorcycle parts/accessories: $71,000 (down -48.6%)
10. Public-transport vehicles: $32,000 (down -99.1%)

Among these import subcategories, Eritrean purchases of work trucks (down -17%) and special purpose vehicles (down -20.1%) fell at the slowest pace from 2020 to 2021.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among Eritrean businesses and consumers.

Eritrea’s Top Milling Product Imports

In 2021, Eritrean importers spent the most on the following subcategories of milling industry goods.

1. Wheat or meslin flour: US$13.2 million (down -66.6% from 2020)
2. Malt: $1.6 million (down -13.4%)
3. Worked cereal grades including hulled, rolled, flaked: $52,000 (up 766.7%)

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported milling industry goods among Eritrean businesses and consumers.
 
See also Eritrea’s Top 10 Exports, Top African Export Countries and Nigeria’s Top 10 Imports

Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World FactbookCountry Profiles. Accessed on September 19, 2022

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on September 19, 2022

Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on September 19, 2022