Netherlands dominated with 18.6% of South African citrus exports in 2023, outpacing other countries

  • The Netherlands led with 18.6% of South Africa’s citrus exports in 2023.
  • The U.S. accounted for 5.8% of South Africa’s citrus exports, a small share compared to Europe and UAE.
  • South African citrus exports to the U.S. in 2023 was valued at $141 million.
  • Other markets, like the UK and UAE, played a larger role in South Africa’s citrus trade.
  • Market diversity may reduce the impact of the trending U.S. tariff on South Africa’s overall citrus export.

In 2023, South Africa’s citrus exports to the U.S. reached $141 million, accounting for just 5.8% of its total citrus exports. In contrast, the Netherlands received a larger share, with $450 million in citrus exports, making up 18.6% of South Africa’s total citrus trade. This stark difference highlights the U.S. as a smaller market for South African citrus compared to Europe. While the recent tariffs may affect South Africa, the U.S. remains an important, but secondary, destination for South African citrus.

Source:

Observatory of Economic Complexity

Period:

2023
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Nigeria’s foreign trade
  • Total Trade Volume in Q1 2025 stood at ₦36.02 trillion, with exports totalling ₦20.6 trillion and imports at ₦15.4 trillion, resulting in a surplus of ₦5.17 trillion.
  • Crude oil dominates Nigeria’s export trade, accounting for the largest share of export revenue. -
  • Other petroleum oil products are also a major export item, reflecting the significance of both raw and refined oil-based commodities in Nigeria’s trade portfolio. -
  • On the import side, manufactured goods dominate, showing Nigeria’s continued reliance on foreign machinery, technology, and consumer goods.
  • While Nigeria exports mostly raw and oil-based products, it imports refined, processed, or industrial goods, indicating a structural trade gap and limited local industrial capacity. -
  • Agricultural and raw material goods feature on both sides of trade, but their value is significantly less than petroleum-related trade.
Nigeria's foreign trade
  • India is Nigeria’s largest export destination Nigeria exported ₦2.84 trillion worth of goods to India in Q1 2025, driven largely by crude oil.
  • China dominates imports into Nigeria China supplied ₦4.66 trillion worth of goods, far outpacing all other countries. Likely dominated by electronics, machinery, and manufactured goods.
  • The United States appears on both sides. Nigeria exports ₦1.54 trillion to the US and imports ₦1.42 trillion, showing a relatively balanced trade relationship.
  • European countries are major export Partners Netherlands (₦2.30T), France (₦1.44T), and Spain (₦1.44T) are prominent export destinations, indicating strong demand for Nigerian crude oil and other commodities in Europe.
  • UAE barely makes the import list. The UAE closes out the top import list at ₦0.61 trillion, showing relatively lower trade volume compared to others, but still significant enough to be in the top 5.
Cocoa led Nigeria’s agricultural exports by value in Q1 2025, with over ₦1.2B
  • The value of agricultural goods exported in Q1 2025 rose to ₦1.70 trillion, up 64.65% year-on-year and 10.63% quarter-on-quarter, highlighting continued growth in the sector.
  • Standard and superior cocoa beans led the chart, contributing a combined ₦1.23 trillion, with major buyers being The Netherlands (₦344.17B) and Belgium (₦203.17B).
  • Cashew nuts in shell earned ₦157.63B, mostly exported to India (₦87.56B) and Vietnam (₦69.74B), while sesamum seeds brought in ₦128.18B.
  • Soya bean flours and ornamental flowers fetched ₦27B and ₦18B respectively, showing Nigeria's export mix is broadening.
China dominated Nigeria’s generator market in 2024, supplying nearly 70% of imports
  • Nigeria imported $281 million worth of generator sets in 2024.
  • China remained the dominant supplier, accounting for $195 million, or nearly 70% of total imports.
  • Other top suppliers included India ($20.6M), Germany ($15.4M), and South Korea ($16.5M).
  • Compared to 2023, imports from China dipped slightly (from $202M to $195M), and other countries like Germany and India also saw declines.
  • The data captures a wide range of generator types — petrol, diesel, wind-powered, and rotary converters — under HS Code 8502.
  • Mirror data reflects only officially reported trade and excludes informal or undocumented imports.
Air Peace leads Nigeria’s airline fleet with 37 aircraft, more than double any other operator
  • Air Peace operates the largest fleet with 37 aircraft, combining its mainline and subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper.
  • Arik Air and Max Air follow distantly with 14 and 10 aircraft respectively, less than half of Air Peace’s combined fleet.
  • Only 5 airlines operate fleets of 8 or more aircraft, highlighting a significant concentration of operational strength at the top.
  • Over one-third of the listed airlines (7 out of 20) operate with fleets of just 4 aircraft or fewer.
Nigeria maintained its trade surplus streak in Q1 2025, with ₦5.17 trillion
  • Total trade rose from ₦12.7 trillion (Q2 2023) to over ₦36 trillion (Q1 2025).
  • Exports grew from ₦6.4 trillion (Q2 2023) to ₦20.6 trillion (Q1 2025).
  • Sustained trade surpluses started from Q2 2023, peaking at ₦5.2 trillion in Q1 2025.
  • Imports also rose from ₦6.3 trillion (Q2 2023) to ₦15.4 trillion (Q1 2025), but slower than exports.
  • Pre-2023 was deficit-heavy: Most quarters from 2020–2022 recorded trade deficits or very small surpluses.
  • Q1 2021 had the worst deficit: -₦1.89 trillion, driven by high imports and weak exports.
  • Naira devaluation is the turning point: Starting around Q2 2023, it inflated export values in naira terms.
  • Export growth may not reflect volume; gains are likely due to FX effects, not necessarily more goods shipped.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved