Despite Trump tariffs, US imports from Africa surged 24% to $23.4B in H1 2025

  • US imports from Africa grew 23.9% year-on-year to $23.4 billion in H1 2025.
  • South Africa drove much of the growth, with exports surging 52.2% to $9.5 billion.
  • Nigeria recorded a 12.1% decline in exports to the US, falling to $2.8 billion.
  • Algeria also posted a contraction, with exports dropping 13.5% to $1.1 billion.
  • Egypt’s exports increased 14.8%.
  • Other African countries collectively expanded exports by 23.5% to $8.6 billion.
  • Africa’s trade growth with the US continues despite tariff barriers, showing resilience.

US imports from Africa grew significantly in the first half of 2025, reaching $23.4 billion, a 23.6% jump from the $18.9 billion recorded in H1 2024. This surge comes despite the backdrop of Trump-era tariffs, suggesting that the US demand for African products has proven resilient. The growth highlights Africa’s expanding role as a trade partner, with some countries outperforming others in their export contributions.

South Africa stood out as the biggest winner, with exports to the US soaring by over 52%. Egypt also saw a healthy 14.8% rise in its exports, while the other African economies collectively recorded a 23.5% boost. However, the picture wasn’t entirely positive, as Nigeria and Algeria posted declines.

Source:

U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis

Period:

H1 2024, H1 2025
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US trade deficit with South Africa nearly doubled to $6.3 billion in H1 2025
  • US imports from Africa jumped 24% to $23.4 billion in H1 2025 despite tariffs.
  • Egypt led gains, doubling its surplus with the US to $2.73 billion.
  • Nigeria swung into a $576 million surplus, reversing last year’s deficit.
  • South Africa’s deficit with the US nearly doubled to $6.32 billion, dragging the overall balance.
US trade deficit with South Africa nearly doubled to $6.3 billion in H1 2025
  • US imports from Africa jumped 24% to $23.4 billion in H1 2025 despite tariffs.
  • Egypt led gains, doubling its surplus with the US to $2.73 billion.
  • Nigeria swung into a $576 million surplus, reversing last year’s deficit.
  • South Africa’s deficit with the US nearly doubled to $6.32 billion, dragging the overall balance.
46 African countries get more than 60% of their export earnings from raw goods, with South Sudan leading with 99.5%
  • More than 60% of the countries in Africa are commodity-dependent.
  • South Sudan leads the list with 99.5%.
  • Nigeria’s commodity export dependence is 96.3%, dominated by energy (89.7%), followed by agriculture (4.0%) and mining (2.6%).
  • Africa alone accounts for nearly 47% of all commodity dependent countries globally.
Only 8 African countries get less than 60% of their export earnings from raw goods, with Tunisia leading at 21.5%
  • Of the 54 African countries, 46 earn more than 60% of export revenues from raw goods.
  • Algeria, Morocco, Eswatini, Lesotho, Djibouti, Mauritius, Comoros, and Egypt stand out with less than 60%.
  • Algeria and Morocco are the least dependent, pointing to stronger industrial and trade sectors.
  • Lower dependence means greater economic stability, while high reliance exposes countries to volatile global commodity markets.
Ghana’s exports

  • Gold bullion dominates exports, contributing ¢163.0B (55.3%) of total exports.

  • Petroleum oils follow distantly at ¢52.6B (17.8%).

  • Cocoa (beans, paste, butter) remains a vital sector, collectively worth ¢24.7B (8.4%).

  • Manganese, cashew, tuna, iron/steel, and shea oil are niche contributors, each under 2% of exports.

  • All other products still make up a significant 14.4% (¢42.4B), showing potential for export diversification.
Apapa Port accounted for 71.6% of Nigeria’s total trade value in Q1 2025 and 86.12% of total exports
  • Apapa Port accounted for 71.6% of Nigeria’s total trade value in Q1 2025 and 82.12% of total exports
  • Apapa Port handled ₦25.79 trillion worth of goods in Q1 2025, representing 71.6% of total trade. It remains the country’s primary trade hub, far surpassing all other ports combined.
  •  Apapa alone facilitated ₦17.74 trillion or 86.1% of Nigeria’s total exports, showing a high dependency on a single location for outbound goods.
  • Tin Can Island is the only meaningful secondary hub With ₦3.44 trillion (9.5%) in total trade, ranking a distant second. It’s the only other port contributing more than ₦1 trillion each to imports and exports.
  • Lekki has limited export impact, despite handling ₦1.70 trillion in imports. Lekki contributed only ₦0.30 trillion (1.5%) in exports, indicating underutilization for outbound trade.
  • Murtala Muhammed International Airport processed just ₦647.91 billion (1.8%) of total trade, reinforcing that Nigeria’s international trade remains heavily maritime-focused.
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