What is the EBA?
The “Everything but Arms”(EBA) scheme is a permanent arrangement covering Least Developed Countries (LDC’s) as classified by the United Nations. This arrangement enables duty-free and quota-free access for all products (7200 products in total) originating in LDC’s except for arms and ammunition. Different from the Standard GSP and GSP+, LDC’s are not excluded from the scheme if they benefit from other preferential arrangements.
At a glance: EBA beneficiaries' preferential imports to the EU
22,67 M
Population
Presidential Republic
Government
1.80%
GDP Growth
3.00%
Inflation
$ 18,82 B
GDP
Facts about Burkina Faso's economy
Export Products
Burkina Faso's most important export products are gold, cotton, and zinc, as well as a number of agricultural products such as cashew nuts, sesame seeds, oil seeds, and vegetable fats and oils. Gold alone accounts for about 3/4 of total export earnings, making the economy vulnerable to price fluctuations in this commodity.
Trade Partners
Burkina Faso's main trading partners are Switzerland, the EU and India. Switzerland is the most important export market, accounting for over 72% of exports. Important regional trading partners are the Ivory Coast and Ghana.
Economic Structure
About 80% of the country's population are working in the agricultural sector, with cotton being the most important crop. The gross of the agricultural sector remains subsistence farming. Burkina Faso benefits from significant manganese and gold deposits. Most industries remain underdeveloped, although some plants exist which focus on food and beverages, textiles, shoes, and bicycle parts. The services sector absorbed recent losses in the agricultural sector and mining industry.
Trade with the EU
Total trade with the EU summed up to € 862 million in 2021. The EU is Burkina Faso's second most important trading partner and accounts for a share of 11.9%.
Development Challenges
Burkina Faso is a landlocked economy which faces a number of development challenges. This includes the continuously high share of the population, about 40%, which lives below the national poverty line as well as persistent security risks. Nonetheless, economic indicators in recent years suggested a stable macroeconomic environment.
Usage of EBA Preferences
Currently about 22% of EU imports from Burkina Faso make use of the preferential access granted by the EBA. The preference utilisation rate, which represents the ratio of preferential imports to GSP eligible imports, currently stands at 93%.
Burkina Faso and the EU (2022)
Imports from Burkina Faso by product section
Imports from Burkina Faso over time (in € m)
BURKINA FASO AND THE EU’s GSP
Economic Impact
17%
Ony 17% of Burkina Faso's exports to the European market are eligible for EBA preferences.
95.10%
Burkina Faso has a very high preference utilisation rate of 95%.
Preference utilisation and export diversification
Burkina Faso's imports to the EU
Preference Utilisation vs. total eligible imports
Burkina Faso’s preference utilisation rate was comparatively steady between 2017 and 2022, always above 90%. All major product groups which are imported under the EBA make considerable use of the duty suspensions with preference utilisation rates of well above 90%.
The largest product sections under EBA
Fruit and vegetable as well as mineral products are the main products imported from Burkina Faso. They account for almost 70% of total imports. The latter is imported under MFN duties. Only 4% of imports of fruit and vegetable are under the EBA scheme, but the GSP utilisation remains high, at 99%. The largest product section under the EBA is animal and vegetable fats, which accounts for 80% of preferential imports.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
As a beneficiary of the EBA, Burkina Faso is not obligated to ratify any conventions to be able to benefit from preferential access to the European market. Nonetheless, Burkina Faso maintains a very high level of ratification and has ratified all 15 core international conventions on human and labour rights. This includes 7 UN human rights conventions and 8 ILO conventions on labour standards. Additionally, Burkina Faso has ratified 8 conventions on environmental protection and 4 conventions on good governance aspects.
Core international conventions on human rights and labour standards
Ratified
- Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)
- International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1969)
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976)
- International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (1976)
- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1981)
- Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1987)
- Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990)
- Convention concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour, No 29 (1930)
- Convention concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, No 87 (1948)
- Convention concerning the Application of the Principles of the Right to Organise and to Bargain Collectively, No 98 (1949)
- Convention concerning Equal Remuneration of Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value, No 100 (1951)
- Convention concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour, No 105 (1957)
- Convention concerning Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation, No 111 (1958)
- Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment, No 138 (1973)
- Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, No 182 (1999)
Additional Conventions
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1973)
- Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987)
- Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal (1989)
- Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)
- The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992)
- Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (2000)
- Stockholm Convention on persistent Organic Pollutants (2001)
- Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1998)
- United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961)
- United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971)
- United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988)
- United Nations Convention against Corruption (2004)
EU-Burkina Faso Bilateral Development Assistance
DG INTPA
Access all info about EU-Burkina Faso relations on the International Partnerships website: https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/countries/burkina-faso_en
Opportunities in Burkina Faso
- Comparatively sound macroeconomic environment
- Recent progress on improving the business environment, including for instance facilitating business registration, strengthening land property laws, and establishing commercial courts
Most recent events
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By submitting a comment I confirm to have read the Terms and Conditions. Users should be aware that if in breach of the Terms and Conditions that their comments, replies and contributions can be removed from the website.
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