From 2017 to 2021, Ivorian exports to Togo decreased by 50%. According to figures provided by the BCEAO, exports will be worth 29.2 billion CFA in 2021 compared to 66.7 billion CFA in 2017.
The dynamic was the same going the other way. From 11.6 billion in 2017 to 4.3 billion in 2021, Togo’s exports to Côte d’Ivoire also decreased.
The primary goods traded between the two nations are energy, oils, fragrances, cosmetics, and soaps.
It is important to keep in mind that the official statistics do not accurately depict the volume of trade between Togo and Côte d’Ivoire. The substantial usage of unofficial trade channels between adjacent nations is not taken into consideration in the statistics. Even though they are unofficial, these routes remain at the core of cross-border trade, especially in border regions where economic activity is quite active. Trade between the two nations is far more dynamic than the Central Bank’s estimates, according to data from the UN.
According to the BCEAO analysis, Benin was the only other nation in the WAEMU (aside from Togo) to see a decrease in its imports from Côte d’Ivoire during the time period under consideration, from 43 billion to 29 billion.
