That dollar amount results from a 122.3% advance from 5 years earlier in 2021 when Senegalese exports totaled $4.5 billion.
Year over year, the overall value of Senegal’s exported goods accelerated by 58.1% compared to $6.3 billion during 2024.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2025, Senegal uses the West African CFA franc which appreciated by 4.4% against the US dollar since 2021 but declined by -4.5% from 2024 to 2025. Senegal’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.
Senegal’s Best Exports Customers
The latest available country-specific data shows that 79.1% of products exported from Senegal was bought by importers in: Mali (16.1% of the Senegalese total), Switzerland (11.2%), Netherlands (9.2%), mainland China (8.5%), India (6.8%), Spain (6.5%), Italy (6.3%), United States of America (3.7%), Australia (3.5%), United Kingdom (2.8%), France (2.4%) and Guinea (2.2%).
From a continental perspective, 42.6% of Senegal exports by value was delivered to European countries while 30% was sold to importers based in fellow African countries.
Senegal shipped another 19.2% worth of goods to customers based in Asia.
Smaller percentages went to buyers in North America (4.1%), Oceania (3.7%) led by Australia and New Zealand then Latin America (0.4%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
Given Senegal’s population of 19.2 million people, its total US$10 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $500 for every resident in the West African nation. That dollar metric eclipses the average $340 per capita one year earlier during 2024.
Senegal’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Senegalese global shipments during 2025 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 Senegal.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$4.3 billion (43.2% of total exports)
- Gems, precious metals: $1.7 billion (16.9%)
- Fish: $534.9 million (5.4%)
- Inorganic chemicals: $462.7 million (4.6%)
- Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $327.7 million (3.3%)
- Ores, slag, ash: $271 million (2.7%)
- Ships, boats: $216.9 million (2.2%)
- Fruits, nuts: $204.6 million (2.1%)
- Miscellaneous food preparations: $202.8 million (2%)
- Iron, steel: $162.3 million (1.6%)
Senegal’s top 10 exports generated over four-fifths (84%) of the overall value of its global shipments.
Ships and boats represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 2,511% from 2024 to 2025.
In second place for improving export sales was mineral fuels including oil via a 108.9% advance led by crude oil.
Senegal’s shipments of gems and precious metals posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 81%.
The leading decliner among Senegal’s top 10 export categories was ores, slag and ash thanks to a -7.2% year-over-year slowdown.
The above listed product groups are at the two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level.
Drilling down to the more granular four-digit HTS codes, crude oil represent Senegal’s most valuable exported product collecting 26.4% of the country’s total export revenues. In second place was unwrought gold (16.9%) trailed by refined petroleum oils (14.6%), phosphoric or polyphosphoric acids (4.6%), frozen whole fish (2.5%), petroleum gases (2.1%), hydraulic cements (2%), moluscs (1.7%), sauces, mixed condiments and seasonings (1.6%) then the coconuts and cashews product category (also 1.6%).
Products Generating Senegal’s Best Trade Surpluses
The following types of Senegalese 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.
- Gems, precious metals: US$1.7 billion (Up by 81.5% since 2024)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $955.8 million (Reversing a -$1.5 billion deficit)
- Fish: $465.3 million (Up by 21.3%)
- Inorganic chemicals: $378 million (Up by 4.2%)
- Ores, slag, ash: $266.1 million (Down by -6.2%)
- Fruits, nuts: $144.5 million (Up by 95.2%)
- Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $132.3 million (Down by -42%)
- Books, newspapers, pictures: $104.7 million (Reversing a -$5.1 million deficit)
- Miscellaneous food preparations: $103.9 million (Up by 8.8%)
- Feathers, artificial flowers, hair: $72.1 million (Up by 4.5%)
Senegal has highly positive net exports in the international trade of gold. In turn, these cashflows indicate Senegal’s strong competitive advantages under the gems and precious metals product category.
Products Causing Senegal’s Worst Trade Deficits
Senegal incurred an overall -US$2 billion trade deficit for 2025, shrinking by -60.4% from -$5.1 billion in red ink one year earlier in 2024.
Below are exports from Senegal that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Senegal’s goods trail Senegalese importer spending on foreign products.
- Cereals: -US$1 billion (Up by 11% since 2024)
- Machinery including computers: -$767.4 million (Down by -9.8%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$749.9 million (Up by 15.3%)
- Vehicles: -$548.4 million (Down by -15%)
- Pharmaceuticals: -$368.4 million (Up by 5%)
- Ships, boats: -$360.1 million (Up by 12.2%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: -$299.9 million (Up by 9.5%)
- Iron, steel: -$245.5 million (Up by 179%)
- Cereal/milk preparations: -$223.1 million (Up by 5.4%)
- Articles of iron or steel: -$159.5 million (Down by -39.5%)
Historically, Senegal incurs highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits notably for rice, wheat and corn under the cereals-related product category.
Senegalese Export Companies
Not one Senegalese corporation ranks among Forbes Global 2000.
Wikipedia lists export-related companies from Senegal. Selected examples are shown below.
- Dakar–Niger Railway (industrial transportation)
- Groupement Aérien Sénégalais (airliner)
- Senelec (electricity)
- Sonatel (telecommunications)
In macroeconomic terms, Senegal’s total exported goods represent 9.5% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2025 ($105.4 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 9.5% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2025 compares to 6.7% one year earlier. Those percentages suggest a relatively increasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Senegal’s total economic performance, albeit based on a short timeframe.
Another key indicator of an economy’s health is its unemployment rate. Senegal’s jobless rate averaged 22.9% for March 2026, up from its average 21.7% unemployment rate one year prior based on Trading Economics metrics.
Senegal’s capital city is Dakar.
See also India’s Top Trading Partners, Switzerland’s Top Trading Partners, Top African Export Countries and Rice Exports by Country
Research Sources:
EXCHANGE-RATES.org CFA BCEAO Franc (XOF) To US Dollar (USD), Exchange Rate History. Accessed on August 4, 2026
Central Intelligence Agency, Country Profiles, The World Factbook. Accessed on August 4, 2026
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 4, 2026
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on August 4, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 4, 2026
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 4, 2026
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on August 4, 2026
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Senegal. Accessed on August 4, 2026
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on August 4, 2026
Wikipedia, Senegal. Accessed on August 4, 2026