Central African Republic - Foreign trade
Diamonds are the largest Central African commodity export, sold either for jewelry (35%), or natural abrasives (35%). Many diamonds are smuggled out of the country, so exact figures are difficult to compile. Agricultural exports are cotton (14%) and coffee (2.6%). Another 5% can be attributed to the manufacture of motor vehicles and parts.
In 1996 the Central African Republic's imports were distributed among the following categories:
| Consumer goods | 10.6% |
| Food | 8.6% |
| Fuels | 8.1% |
| Industrial supplies | 29.4% |
| Machinery | 13.9% |
| Transportation | 24.8% |
| Other | 4.8% |
Principal trading partners in 1998 (in millions of US dollars) were as follows:
| COUNTRY | EXPORTS | IMPORTS | BALANCE |
| Belgium | 147 | 8 | 139 |
| Spain | 19 | 1 | 18 |
| France | 8 | 55 | -47 |
| Lebanon | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| Italy | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| Cameroon | 5 | 19 | -1 |
| Congo, Dem. Rep. Of | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| United States | 2 | 5 | -3 |
| Japan | 1 | 6 | -5 |
| Germany | 1 | 3 | -2 |