Chad - International trade



Chad's principal trading partners are the EU countries and neighboring CEMAC countries. France has been Chad's largest trading partner, accounting for 41 percent of imports. Nigeria and Cameroon are probably Chad's next biggest trading partners, although much of this trade goes unrecorded by customs officials. The 2 countries export many consumer products to Chad. Cotton exports usually go to Portugal and other EU countries, while most beef exports go to Nigeria. Gum arabic has traditionally been exported to France and other EU countries, but increasing volumes now go to the United States.

For decades, Chad has run large trade deficits , importing far more than it exports. In 1999, exports were estimated at US$288 million against imports of US$359

Trade (expressed in billions of US$): Chad
Exports Imports
1975 .048 .133
1980 .071 .074
1985 .062 .166
1990 .188 .286
1995 .277 .250
1998 N/A N/A
SOURCE : International Monetary Fund. International Financial Statistics Yearbook 1999.

Exchange rates: Chad
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFA Fr) per US$1
Jan 2001 699.21
2000 711.98
1999 615.70
1998 589.95
1997 583.67
1996 511.55
Note: From January 1, 1999, the CFA Fr is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA Fr per euro.
SOURCE : CIA World Factbook 2001 [ONLINE].

million. By 2000, the World Factbook estimated that exports had reached US$172 million and imports, US$223 million. When money flows out of Chad to purchase these exports, foreign donors compensate for this flow by sending money back into Chad for investment in development programs. In 1997, Taiwan promised US$125 million and the African Development Bank, US$30 million.

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