In Togo, trade volumes soared throughout the decade ended in 2015. Indeed, trade’s share in the GDP soared by 91% in 2006 to 95% in 2015, according to the Aid for Trade at a Glance 2017.

This improvement was more or less driven by a significant rise of commercial flows. Service exports jumped by 178% while imports also soared, but less considerably (43%).

Services which represented 20% of global exports in 2006 rose to 30% of this value in 2015. Same for imports where services rose from 15% to 22% over the period reviewed. This reinforced the balance of services. 

However, in 2015, the balance of goods slumped in terms of relative value. A decrease marked by a 115% surge in goods imports for only 60% for exports. 

In regards to trade partners, Niger, Togo’s main goods export destination in 2007, was uncrowned by Burkina Faso which captured in 2015, 16% of these exports. Eternal second importer of Togo’s products, Benin which captured 11% of the exports in 2007, saw this figure soar to 15% in 2015.

Regarding Togo’s main import destinations, China was first with 20% of the country’s imports in 2015, thus beating France which contributed to 9% of the imports that same year.

Over 2007-2015, construction materials and cement which were ranked at the top of five most exported products by Togo in 2007 (44% of total exports) fell to the fourth position in 2015 (7%), leaving the position to fertilizers (15%).

As for imports, though they are still dominated by oil products, those have slumped from 27% of total imports in 2006 to 11% in 2015.

Fiacre E. Kakpo