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
12,89 M
Population
Presidential Republic
Government
1,80%
GDP Growth
16.10%
Inflation
$ 3,34 B
GDP
Facts about Burundi's economy
Export Products
Burundi's most important export products are coffee, black tea, and a number of metallic ores (including for example tantalum, tin, and tungsten). Coffee and Tea together account for about 90% of Burundi's export earnings.
Trade Partners
Burundi's main trading partners are China, the European Union and the United Arab Emirates. The largest share of Burundi's export products (66%) goes to the United Arab Emirates while the majority of imports originates from China and the EU.
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 40% to the GDP, 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 € 99 million in 2020. With a share of 10%, the EU is Burundi's fourth most important trading partner.
Usage of EBA Preferences
Less than 1% of EU imports from Burundi make use of EBA preferences. The preference utilisation rate, which represents the ratio of preferential imports to GSP eligible imports, currently stands at 84.5%.
Burundi and the EU (2022)
Imports from Burundi by product section
Imports from Burundi over time (in € m)
BURUNDI AND THE EU’s GSP
Economic Impact
2%
Only a tiny fraction of Burundi's exports are eligible for EBA preferences.
82.60%
With a preference utilisation rate of 82.6%, Burundi makes good use of the preferences granted by the EU's EBA arrangement.
Preference utilisation and export diversification
Burundi's imports to the EU
Preference Utilisation vs. total eligible imports
Burundi’s preference utilisation rate showed significant fluctuations. While almost no preferences were used in 2012 and 2013, the rate increased substantially until 2016, before it declined again. Overall, imports from Burundi that make use of EBA preferences remain small. Nonetheless, all imports from two main product sections, live trees and plants, fruits and vegetables, and animal and vegetable fats and oils, made use of the duty suspensions granted by the EBA. Imports from some product sections, including for example machinery, currently do not make use of EBA preferences.
The largest product sections under EBA
Fruit, nuts, vegetables and plants account for the majority of EU imports from Burundi. These products are, however, imported under MFN zero duties. Until 2019, products imported under the EBA were limited to two sections (live trees and plants, and fruits, nuts and vegetables). In 2022, silk, wool, cotton, other fibres and fabrics as well as plastic products, cereals and grains are among the products that benefit from preferential rates, and the country made full advantage of the EBA scheme.
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 European 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 Assistance
DG INTPA
Access all info about EU-Burundi Faso relations on the International Partnerships website: https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/countries/burundi_en
Opportunities in Burundi
- Further potential in the exploitation of mineral resources. Burundi has significant deposits of nickel, vanadium, uranium and phosphates.
- A number of projects aim at modernising and diversifying the agricultural production
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