• Chad shipped 1,045 tonnes of gum arabic to the USA between January and May 2025, an 81% increase year-on-year.

• Sudan’s gum arabic exports to the USA fell sharply due to ongoing civil conflict, dropping from nearly 1,500 tonnes to less than 600 tonnes.

• Chad now supplies 16% of all US gum arabic imports and ranks second globally after France.

Chad and Sudan dominate the global gum arabic market. Since last year, Chad has steadily increased its sales to key consumer markets, especially the USA.

Civil war has severely disrupted Sudan’s gum arabic sector. As a result, Chad capitalized on Sudan’s difficulties and became the leading African supplier to the USA this year. According to agricultural consultancy N’kalô, Chad ranks second globally after France.

Between January and May 2025, Chad shipped 1,045 tonnes of gum arabic to the USA. This volume represents an 81% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, Sudan’s shipments to the USA plunged from nearly 1,500 tonnes to less than 600 tonnes.

With these shipments, Chad now accounts for 16% of all US gum arabic imports. The USA remains one of the largest consumers of gum arabic, using it extensively in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

N’kalô reports that overall US gum arabic imports dropped nearly 27% during this period, with the sharpest decline in the first quarter. Despite this, observers believe Chad stands to benefit if demand recovers later this year.

Chad’s rise followed logistical challenges in Sudan caused by the conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese national army since April 2023. This conflict pushed American and European manufacturers to shift demand toward Chad.

In 2024, Chad exported roughly 2,000 tonnes of gum arabic to the USA, up 37% year-on-year. Its shipments to France, the world’s largest processor of gum arabic, hit a record 12,787 tonnes.

Chad remains the world’s second-largest exporter of hard gum, trailing only Sudan, which produces 80% of global gum arabic.

This article was initially published in French by Espoir Olodo

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum