Burundi

As a least-developed country (LDC), Burundi is a beneficiary of the EU's "Everything but Arms" (EBA) arrangement. The World Bank considers Burundi a low-income economy with a per-capita income of $193 in 2023. EU imports from Burundi amounted to about €36.5 million in 2023. As most of Burundi's exports enter the EU duty-free under the EU's normal tariff regime, the scope for preferential imports is limited - these reached €294,000 in 2023.

What is the EBA?

The EBA arrangement covers all LDCs as classified by the United Nations. This arrangement enables duty-free and quota-free access for all products originating in LDCs except for arms and ammunition. Unlike beneficiaries of the Standard GSP and GSP+, LDCs are not excluded from the scheme if they benefit from other preferential arrangements or agreements with the EU.

Burundi flag

At a glance: EU preferential imports from EBA beneficiary countries (2023, € million)

group

13.7M (2023)

Population

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Presidential Republic

Government

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2.7% (2023)

GDP Growth

equalizer

26.9% (2023)

Inflation

money

$ 2.6B (2023)

GDP

Facts about Burundi's economy

Export Products

Burundi's most important export products are gold, coffee, black tea, and a number of agricultural and food products (such as beer and tobacco) as well as metallic ores (including for example tantalum, tin, and tungsten).

Trade Partners

Burundi's main trading partners in 2023 were the UAE, China, and Tanzania, with the EU ranked fourth. The largest share of Burundi's export products (27%) goes to Congo (Democratic Rep) while the majority of imports originates in the UAE and China.

Economic Structure

The economy is very dependent on the agricultural sector, with cotton, coffee and tea being the most important crops. The sector contributes about 22.5% to the GDP (2023), although it employs about 80% of the population. Manufacturing mostly concentrates on the processing of these agricultural outputs. Private sector development is significantly hampered by limited access to electricity, particularly in the mining and tourism sectors where the country still has untapped potential.

Development Challenges

Burundi is a landlocked and resource-poor country in Central Africa which remains heavily dependent on agriculture. With a decreasing share of subsistence farming, food security has become an even more important challenge. The level of food insecurity is almost twice as high as in the average sub-Saharan country.

Trade with the EU

Total trade with the EU summed up to €79 million in 2023, equal to 7% of Burundi's total trade. With a share of 10% of Burundi's total exports, the EU is the country's third most important export market.

Usage of EBA Preferences

Less than 1% of EU imports from Burundi made use of EBA preferences in 2023 because most of Burundi's exports can enter the EU duty-free already under the EU's normal tariff regime. The preference utilisation rate, which represents the ratio of preferential imports to GSP eligible imports, stood at 82% in 2023.

Burundi and the EU

Imports from Burundi by product section (2023, € million)

Imports from Burundi over time (€ million)

BURUNDI AND THE EU GSP

Economic Impact

1%

Only a tiny fraction of Burundi's exports to the EU were eligible for EBA preferences in 2023.

82%

Burundi's preference utilisation rate in 2023.

100%

Share of zero-duty imports from Burundi. Most imports are duty-free under normal EU tariffs.

Preference utilisation and export diversification

EU imports from Burundi (€ million)

Preference utilisation (%) vs. total eligible imports (in € million)

Because most of Burundi's exports to the EU are zero-duty, only a small share is eligible for EBA preferences, and these - due to the low volumes - were quite volatile over the years. Similarly, Burundi’s preference utilisation rate showed significant fluctuations over time. While almost no preferences were used in 2012 and 2013, the rate increased substantially until 2016, reaching almost 90%, before it declined again. In absolute terms, imports from Burundi that make use of EBA preferences remain small. Nonetheless, all imports of the main product sections, textiles and fruit and vegetables, used the EBA preferences.

The largest product sections under EBA (€ million, 2023)

Coffee, tea and spices account for the majority of EU imports from Burundi. These products are, however, primarily imported under MFN zero duties and are thus not benefitting from EBA preferences. With EBA preferential imports being very small, their sectoral composition changes from year to year. In 2023, only textiles and plants reached values of about €100 thousand. These, however, all used the EBA preferences.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

As a beneficiary of the EBA, Burundi is not obligated to ratify any conventions to be able to benefit from preferential access to the EU market. Nonetheless, Burundi 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, Burundi 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-Burundi Bilateral Development Cooperation

DG INTPA

Access all info about EU-Burundi Faso relations on the International Partnerships website.

Contact points