Ivory Coast and Senegal are among the top exporting countries in the West African Economic Community.
Mali and Burkina Faso are the main recipient markets.
Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal topped the list of exporting countries within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) during the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the latest monetary policy report issued by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) in mid-March 2026.
Côte d'Ivoire accounted for 35.8% of the Union's total exports, while Senegal contributed 19.5%, bringing their combined total to 55.3% of the bloc's exports.
This dominance is not new; a report published by Ecofin Pro in February 2024 indicated that the two countries remained the largest exporters within the Union during the period between 2017 and 2021.
The two countries are also among the best performers in implementing regional reforms within the Union. Senegal's reform implementation rate reached approximately 77.5% in 2023, compared to 74.5% in 2022. Côte d'Ivoire recorded 87.78% in 2024, compared to 85.45% in 2023, according to official figures.
Mali and Burkina Faso at the heart of regional trade
In terms of export destinations within the Union, Burkina Faso and Mali represent approximately 44.8% of the trade volume, making them the most prominent trading partners within the bloc.
This comes at a time when the two countries, both members of the Sahel Alliance (AES), have withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), while remaining members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union. This situation has allowed for the preservation of regional integration mechanisms and the continuation of trade flows with the rest of the member states.
In 2024, Mali was the main destination for Senegalese exports, according to the monthly bulletin issued in December by the National Agency for Statistics and Demography of Senegal (ANSD).
A report issued in January 2025 by the National Statistics Agency of Côte d'Ivoire (ANSTAT) also indicated that Mali and Burkina Faso remained Côte d'Ivoire's main trading partners within the Union, accounting for 57.2% and 21.5% of its exports within the bloc, respectively.
Measures to boost regional trade
In this context, Côte d'Ivoire announced in an official memorandum dated March 31, 2026 the cancellation of the customs representation visa on detailed customs declarations for exports destined for Mali and Burkina Faso.
This step is expected to contribute to boosting trade with the two countries by reducing administrative restrictions and facilitating trade, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Ivorian and regional companies.
According to a report by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), intra-EU trade increased by 12.11 TP3T during the fourth quarter of 2025, reaching 1,276.3 billion CFA francs (approximately US$2.25 billion). This figure represents 161 TP3T of total intra-EU trade, the same percentage recorded during the fourth quarter of 2024.
