Central African Republic

As a least-developed country (LDC), the Central African Republic (CAR) is a beneficiary of the EU's "Everything but Arms" (EBA) arrangement. The World Bank considers the CAR a low-income economy with a per-capita income of $516 in 2024. EU imports from the CAR amounted to about €19 million in 2024, the lowest since 2019. Most of the CAR's exports enter the EU duty-free under the EU's normal tariff regime, and almost no preferential EBA imports were registered in 2024, as in previous years.

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.

Central African Republic flag

At a glance: EU preferential imports from EBA beneficiary countries (2024, € million)

group

5.3M (2024)

Population

account_balance
Presidential Republic

Government

trending_up

1.5% (2024)

GDP Growth

equalizer

1.5% (2024)

Inflation

money

$ 2.8B (2024)

GDP

Facts about the Central African Republic's economy

Resource Wealth

The Central African Republic is a landlocked economy possessing substantial mineral deposits and other resources including crude oil, gold, uranium reserves, diamonds, cobalt, lumber, and vast amounts of arable land.

Export Products

The most important export products of the Central African Republic are gold, diamonds, and wood.

Trade Partners

The most important trading partners are China (19% of CAR's total trade in 2024) and the EU (17%), followed by Cameroon (15%) and the UAE (10%). The most important export markets are UAE (66% of total exports in 2024), the EU (8%) and China (7%). Imports mainly originate from China, the EU, and Cameroon.

Economic Structure

The agricultural sector contributes about 32% to GDP (2024), behind the services sector (40%), and centres around the cultivation of coffee, cotton, cassava, corn, millet, rice, squash, and peanuts. The Central African Republic can benefit from large mineral resources. The industry sector share in GDP amounts to about 18%.

Usage of EBA Preferences

As most of the CAR's exports enter the EU duty-free under the EU's normal tariff regime, the scope for EBA preferences is limited: 2% of imports from CAR were eligible for EBA preferences in 2024. Almost none of these made use of the preferences, as in previous years.

Trade with the EU

Total trade with the EU amounted to €112 million in 2024, making the EU is the second most important trading partner for the Central African Republic. About 8% of the CAR's total exports go to the EU market, making it the second export destination, after the UAE. The EU is also the second most important supplier to CAR, after China, accounting for 18% of the country's total imports in 2024.

Central African Republic and the EU

Imports from the Central African Republic by product section (2024, € million)

Imports from the Central African Republic over time (€ million)

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC AND THE EU GSP

Economic Impact

2%

Only a small share of the Central African Republic's exports to the EU were eligible for EBA preferences in 2024.

0%

The Central African Republic did not make use of EBA preferences in 2024.

98%

Share of zero-duty imports from the Central African Republic in 2024. Most imports are duty-free under normal EU tariffs.

Preference utilisation and export diversification

EU imports from the Central African Republic (€ million)

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

The vast majority of EU imports from the Central African Republic is duty-free and thus not eligible for the EBA. Nevertheless, eligible imports almost steadily increased from 2019 to 2023, dropping again in 2024. The Central African Republic has hardly made use of the EBA preferences recently.

The largest product sections under EBA (€ million, 2024)

As most EU imports from the Central African Republic are duty free under the normal tariff regime, only very few products benefit from preferences - primarily edible oils and certain wood products. These did not use preferences in 2024.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The preferential access to the EU market granted by the EBA scheme is not bound to the ratification of international conventions. Nevertheless, the Central African Republic has a high level of ratification of international conventions. The country has ratified 14 out of 15 fundamental conventions on human rights and labour standards listed in the GSP Regulation, as well as all 12 conventions on environmental protection and good governance.

Core international conventions on human rights and labour standards

Ratified

  • 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)

Not Ratified

  • Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)

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-Central African Republic Bilateral Development Cooperation

DG INTPA

Access all info about EU-Central African Republic relations on the International Partnerships website.

Contact points