Burundi: Intra-Africa trade

and tariff profile

No. 24
2018
TRADE DATA UPDATE

This Trade Data Update provides an overview of Burundi’s intra-African trade relationships, both within the
Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and with other individual African countries; the top import and export
products traded; and applicable tariffs. Data is sourced from the UN International Trade Centre (ITC) TradeMap
and World Trade Organisation (WTO) Tariff databases. The update is accompanied by a visual representation of
key data and trends in an infographic.

Regional Economic Communities

Burundi is party to several regional economic communities (RECs) in Africa. These include the Common Market
for East and Southern Africa (COMESA); the East African Community (EAC) and the Economic Community for
Central African States (ECCAS).

COMESA has 21 member states (including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Egypt, Eswatini, Malawi and Djibouti) of which 16 are
part of the COMESA FTA – Eswatini has preferential access under a derogation but is exempt from reciprocating
preferences due to its membership of SACU. The DRC, Eritrea and Ethiopia are in the process of joining the FTA.
In 2018, Tunisia and Somalia joined COMESA.

The EAC is a customs union (Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) with duty-free intra-
EAC trade and a common external tariff (CET). The member states also adopted a Common Market Protocol in
2009, which came into effect in 2010. However, the Protocol has not yet been fully implemented.

The ECCAS member states are Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Congo, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon,
Rwanda and São Tomé and Príncipe. Although the legal instruments of the ECCAS Free Trade Area (FTA) were
signed in 2004 the FTA is not yet in force; only three of the member states (Cameroon, Congo and Gabon) have
adopted the ECCAS Preferential Tariff for intra-ECCAS trade.

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 Burundi: Intra-Africa trade and tariff profile
Trade Data Update, Issue No. 24 | September 2018

Intra-Africa trade

Burundi’s trade composition with Africa is relatively concentrated in a few products in terms of exports while
relatively diversified when it comes to imports. In 2017, intra-Africa exports were valued at US$44 million while
Burundi imported over US$200 million worth of goods. Intra-Africa exports account for 31% of Burundi’s global
exports while intra-Africa imports account for 28% of Burundi’s global imports.

The bulk of exports were destined to the COMESA and the EAC regions with the Democratic Republic of Cong
(DRC), Egypt and Uganda accounting for 79% of Burundi’s intra-Africa exports. Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda
accounted for an additional 16% share in 2017. Top 10 export destinations accounted for 99% of Burundi’s total
intra-Africa exports. Togo is the only non-REC country that features in the top 10 export destinations.

In terms of import sources, more than 70% of Burundi’s intra-Africa imports originated from the EAC in 2017.
This is due to the proximity and the existence of the customs union within the EAC. COMESA countries Zambia
and Egypt accounted for an additional 20% while South Africa and Mozambique which do not have any
preferential arrangement with Burundi featured in the top 10 import sources and accounted for a combined 6%
of Burundi’s imports in 2017. Other countries which featured in the top 10 included Central Africa Republic (CAR)
and the DRC.

Top export products included Wheat or meslin flour, Coffee, Tea, and Beer made from malt. Top 10 products
accounted for 88% of Burundi’s total intra-Africa exports. Top imports, on the other hand, included Sugar,
Cement, Products of iron and non-alloy steel, and Maize or corn. Burundi’s top 10 intra-Africa imports accounted
for 45% of its total intra-Africa imports.

Table 1: Top 10 intra-Africa exported and imported products (2017)

Top exports (US$ millions) Top imports (US$ millions)

Product description 2017 % share Product description 2017 % share

All products 44 All products 200

Wheat or meslin flour 8 18% Cane or beet sugar 22 11%

Coffee 7 15% Cement 12 6%

Tea 6 15% Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel 11 6%

Beer made from malt 6 14% Maize or corn 11 5%

Carboys, bottles, flasks, jars, pots 4 8% Articles for interior furnishing 8 4%

Articles for the conveyance or
3 7% Mineral or chemical fertilisers 7 4%
packaging of goods
Cigars, and cigarettes 3 7% Petroleum oils... 5 3%

Soap 1 2% Tubes, pipes and hollow profiles 4 2%

Bars and rods, of iron or non-alloy steel 1 2% Mixtures of odoriferous substances 4 2%

Instruments and appliances used in Articles for the conveyance or packaging of
1 2% 4 2%
medical sciences goods
Other 5 12% Other 110 55%

Source: UN ITC TradeMap

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Trade Data Update, Issue No. 24 | September 2018

Intra-Africa tariff analysis

Burundi is party to 3 RECs in Africa; however, as highlighted above, the ECCAS preferential arrangements are not
yet in force and thus no preferential access to the Burundi market is granted. Therefore, only countries that are
members of COMESA and/or the EAC enjoy preferential access into Burundi. COMESA currently is a free trade
area (FTA) while the EAC is a fully-fledged customs union. COMESA intends to become a fully-fledged customs
union; however, Burundi will not be party to it given that it already belongs to the EAC.

Non-REC members, which include Algeria, Angola, Cabo Verde, Congo, Gabon, Mauritania, Mozambique and the
Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) members – South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Lesotho – do not enjoy
preferential access. This means that products originating from these countries as well as ECCAS members attract
the CET tariff rates which are categorised into 5 tariff bands – from duty free to maximum applied rates of 60%,
although in certain instances Burundi can levy tariff of up to 100% on refined sugar to protect its domestic market.

With the exclusion of COMESA and EAC, Burundi’s total intra-Africa imports were valued at US$19.5 million in
2017 which is equivalent to 10% of Burundi’s total intra-Africa imports. Of all products imported, the average
tariff rate was about 8%. Main products included Sugar; Vehicle parts; Maize or corn; guns and ammunition as
well as telephone sets. Top 10 imports from these countries accounted for almost 60% of Burundi’s non-REC
intra-Africa imports in 2017.

Table 2: Burundi’s top intra-Africa imports (excluding COMESA and EAC)

2017 Average Max tariff

Product description % share
(US$ ‘000) tariff (MFN) (MFN)
All products 19 514 8% 60%

Cane or beet sugar 4 470 23% 25% 100%

Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles for

1 003 5% 5% 10%
transport of ten or more persons, ...
Maize or corn 876 4% 19% 50%

Spring, air or gas guns and pistols, 767 4% 13% 25%

Telephone sets, incl. telephones for cellular networks 758 4% 1% 10%

Bombs, grenades, torpedos, mines, missiles, cartridges
714 4% 13% 25%
and other ammunition
Electrical transformers, static converters, 671 3% 2% 10%

Tarpaulins, awnings and sunblinds; 668 3% 13% 25%

Electric generating sets and rotary converters 663 3% 0% 0%

Furniture and parts thereof, 629 3% 13% 25%

Palm oil and its fractions 584 3% 7% 25%

Other 7 711 40%

Source: UN ITC TradeMap and WTO Tariff Database