Mali
As a least-developed country (LDC), Mali is a beneficiary of the EU's "Everything but Arms" (EBA) arrangement. The World Bank classifies Mali as a low-income economy with a per-capita income of $1,193 in 2025. Total EU imports from Mali amounted to about €48 million in 2025. Preferential imports increased sharply from €7.4 million in 2024 to €25.9 million in 2025.
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.
At a glance: EU preferential imports from EBA beneficiary countries (2025, € million)
25.2M (2025)
Population
Semi-Presidential Republic
Government
5.6% (2025)
GDP Growth
3.3% (2025)
Inflation
$ 30.1B (2025)
GDP
Facts about Mali's economy
Landlocked Economy
Located in Western Africa, Mali is a landlocked economy. The majority of the country lies in the southern Sahara which comes with a hot desert climate.
Export Products
Mali's most important export product is gold, accounting for more than half of the country' export proceeds. Other export products include petroleum oils, raw cotton, sesame seeds, and live animals.
Trade Partners
Mali's most important trading partners are neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire (which is also the most important export market), followed by China and Senegal.
Economic Structure
About 80% of Mali's population are employed in the agricultural sector, which predominantly focusses on subsistence farming and represents 33% of Mali's GDP (2025). Cotton is the most important cash crop. Mali has substantial mineral deposits, whose extraction, apart from gold and salt, remains largely underdeveloped. The manufacturing sector mainly produces for the domestic market and focusses on the processing of agricultural products, consumer goods and construction materials.
Gold and Cotton
Mali is the fourth largest producer of gold and the second largest producer of cotton on the African continent. Cotton contributes about 8% to the country’s GDP.
Trade with the EU
Total trade with the EU amounted to €749 million in 2025. The EU is Mali's fourth most important trading partner and accounts for a share of 10%, which, however, mainly results from the importance of EU imports. Less than 5% of Mali's exports go to the EU market.
Mali and the EU
Imports from Mali by product section (2025, € million)
Imports from Mali over time (€ million)
MALI AND THE EU GSP
Economic Impact
64%
Share of Mali's exports to the EU that were eligible for preferences granted under the EBA in 2025.
83%
Mali's preference utilisation rate in 2025.
86%
Share of zero-duty imports from Mali in 2025. Most imports are duty-free under normal EU tariffs.
Preference utilisation and export diversification
EU imports from Mali (€ million)
Preference utilisation (%) vs. total eligible imports (in € million)
With a large share of EU imports from Mali attracting no duties under the normal tariff regime, the share of EBA-eligible imports is small. Nevertheless, the value of eligible imports shows a clearly positive trend, with the years since 2022 being particularly good years, and imports in 2025 more than tripling compared to 2024. Mali’s preference utilisation rate has fluctuated heavily over the years, ranging from 27% (in 2018) to 86% (in 2021). In 2025 it was 83%.
The largest product sections under EBA (€ million, 2025)
EU imports from Mali making use of the preferences granted by the EBA are led by three product groups: edible oils, prepared foods and beverages, and fruit and vegetables. Preference utilisation in these sectors is also relatively high, unlike in many of the smaller sectors.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
As a beneficiary of the EBA, Mali is not required to ratify any conventions to be able to benefit from preferential access to the EU market. Nonetheless, the country has ratified all 27 international conventions listed in the GSP Regulation on human and labour rights, environmental protection and good governance.
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-Mali Bilateral Development Cooperation
DG INTPA
Access all info about EU-Mali relations on the International Partnerships website.