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
2,70 M
Population
Presidential Republic
Government
4.30%
GDP Growth
12.30%
Inflation
$ 2,19 B
GDP
Facts about the Gambia's economy
A Small Country
The Gambia is the smallest and one of the most densely populated countries on the African continent, with the majority of the population living in urban areas. Nonetheless, agriculture remains the backbone of the economy and secures the livelihood of about 66% of the workforce.
Export Products
The Gambia's most important export products are tropical woods and cashew nuts. Fats and oils of fish have become another relevant export product in recent years.
Trade Partners
The Gambia's most important trading partners are Norwary, the EU and China. The largest share of exports, almost 25%, go to Senegal, followed by Mali. The most important source of imports is Norway, followed by the EU, China, and Ivory Coast.
Economic Structure
The agricultural sector (19.7%) remains the mainstay of the Gambia's economy and supplies the livelihoods of the majority of the population. Peanuts are the most important crop. A small manufacturing sector mainly focusses on the processing of peanuts, fish, textiles and food and beverages. Remittances account for about 16% of the GDP.
Usage of EBA Preferences
About 73% of the overall EU imports from the Gambia use EBA preferences. The preference utilisation rate, which represents the ratio of preferential imports to GSP eligible imports, currently stands at 84%.
Trade with the EU
Total trade with the EU amounted to € 4,171 million in 2021. The EU is the Gambia's third most important trading partner and ranks second as a source of imports and sixth as a destination for exports.
The Gambia and the EU (2022)
Imports from the Gambia by product section
Imports from the Gambia by product section
THE GAMBIA AND THE EU’s GSP
Economic Impact
95%
The large majority of the Gambia's exports to the EU are eligible for preferences granted by the EU's EBA.
86%
With a preference utilisation rate of 86%, the Gambia currently makes considerable use of the EBA.
Preference utilisation and export diversification
The Gambia's imports to the EU
Preference Utilisation vs. total eligible imports
The Gambia has been consistently among the highest users of GSP preferences across all three arrangements. The preference utilisation rate has stood at an average of 95%. All eligible exports in the two most prominent product sections, fish and fats, are entirely traded under EBA zero duties. Despite about 70% of imports of chemical products are eligible for EBA preferences, no preferences were used for this product section in 2022.
The largest product sections under EBA
The majority of exports under the EBA is accounted for by fish and crustaceans, followed by animal and vegetable fats. These sections account for more than 98% of exports under the EBA, suggesting a limited degree of diversification at the sectoral level. Nonetheless, the number of product sections exported to the EU has increased in recent years, including for example rising exports of essential oils, machinery, and pearls. Overall volumes, however, remain small.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
As a beneficiary of the EBA, the Gambia is not obligated to ratify any conventions to be able to benefit from preferential access to the European market. Nonetheless, the Gambia maintains a 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, the Gambia 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-The Gambia Bilateral Development Assistance
DG INTPA
Access all info about EU-The Gambia relations on the International Partnerships website: https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/countries/gambia_en
Opportunities in Gambia
- Further potential in the agricultural sector as less than half of the arable land is currently used for cultivation and overall productivity remains low
- Governmental efforts to improve the business environment
- Further potential in enhancing capacities for solar power generation
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