In 2020, 15% of Benin’s world exports were to the rest of Africa. Apart from South Africa, the main African destination markets were other CEN-SAD and ECOWAS countries. The value for 2020 intra-Africa exports was US$123 million. The main export products were cotton, lime and cement, iron & steel, and oils seeds.

21% of Benin’s world imports were intra-Africa imports. Benin’s intra-Africa imports were mainly from Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Nigeria. Between 2019 and 2020, intra-Africa imports decreased by 25%. Mineral fuels, fisheries and animal or vegetable fats were the main import products.

Qualifying goods from ECOWAS member states enter into Benin duty-free, while imports from CEN-SAD countries, which are not ECOWAS member states (including Egypt, Morocco, Somalia and Tunisia) and the rest of Africa are levied the MFN applied duty, which is the ECOWAS CET. The ECOWAS CET has five tariff bands – duty-free, 5%, 10%, 20% and 35%.