• Burkina Faso and Mali absorbed over 47% of Côte d’Ivoire’s palm oil exports in 2024.
• Côte d’Ivoire exported CFA90.1 billion of palm oil to the two countries.
• Rising Ivorian output has strengthened its role as a regional palm oil hub.

In West Africa, Burkina Faso and Mali are emerging as key drivers of the palm oil market. In 2024, Côte d’Ivoire, the region’s leading exporter, shipped palm oil worth CFA43.9 billion (about $79.3 million) to Burkina Faso and CFA46.2 billion to Mali, according to customs data. Combined, Ouagadougou and Bamako accounted for more than 47% of Ivorian palm oil exports, valued at CFA90.1 billion, out of a regional total of CFA188.6 billion.

The prominent position of these two neighbors in Côte d’Ivoire’s palm oil trade reflects a structural trend that has been unfolding for nearly a decade. Between 2015 and 2024, Burkina Faso’s imports of Ivorian palm oil more than tripled, while Mali’s imports nearly doubled over the same period.

This sustained growth reflects both population expansion and changing consumption patterns in the two countries, where palm oil plays a central role in daily diets alongside other vegetable oils such as shea, cottonseed, and groundnut oil. Imports remain essential, as local biophysical conditions do not allow for the large-scale development of domestic oil palm production.

In the absence of national output, external supply has become strategic, both for household consumption and for industrial uses, particularly in the manufacture of soap, cosmetics, and basic consumer goods. Côte d’Ivoire has emerged as the preferred supplier to these markets. Geographic proximity, regional integration within WAEMU, and relatively smooth trade flows provide a clear advantage.

Above all, Côte d’Ivoire has benefited from a steady rise in palm oil production since the late 2010s. In the largest economy of WAEMU, the continuous increase in available volumes since 2018 has strengthened the industry and allowed exporters to take a more assertive position in
regional markets.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Côte d’Ivoire’s shipments of crude palm oil rose from 163,000 tons in 2016 to nearly 300,000 tons in 2021, underscoring the country’s growing capacity to meet regional demand. This trend reinforces its role as a regional hub for palm oil trade, with more than 60% of its shipments destined for other West African countries.

Espoir Olodo