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 $869 in 2023. Total EU imports from Mali amounted to about €59.3 million in 2023, the highest value recorded so far. As most of Mali's exports enter the EU duty-free under the EU's normal tariff regime, the scope for preferential imports is limited - these amounted to €6.9 million 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.
At a glance: EU preferential imports from EBA beneficiary countries (2023, € million)
23.8M (2023)
Population
Semi-Presidential Republic
Government
4.7% (2023)
GDP Growth
2.1% (2023)
Inflation
$ 20.7B (2023)
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 by far is gold, accounting for more than 95% of the country' export proceeds in 2023. Other export products include raw cotton, sesame seeds, and fertilisers.
Trade Partners
Mali's most important trading partners are neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal, followed by South Africa and China. South Africa is by far the most important export market (38% in 2023), followed by Switzerland (22%).
Economic Structure
About 80% of Mali's population are employed in the agricultural sector, which predominantly focusses on subsistence farming and represents 35% of Mali's GDP (2023). 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 third 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 €1.0 billion in 2023. The EU is Mali's fifth most important trading partner and accounts for a share of 8.3%, which, however, mainly results from the importance of EU imports. Only 2.2% of Mali's exports go to the EU market.
Mali and the EU
Imports from Mali by product section (2023, € million)
Imports from Mali over time (€ million)
MALI AND THE EU GSP
Economic Impact
21%
Share of Mali's exports to the EU that were eligible for preferences granted under the EBA in 2023.
59%
Mali's preference utilisation rate in 2023.
91%
Share of zero-duty imports from Mali. 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 2022 and 2023 being particularly good years. Mali’s preference utilisation rate has fluctuated heavily over the years, ranging from 27% (in 2018) to 86% (in 2021). In 2023 it was 59%, an increase compared to the 44% a year earlier. Food preparations and base metals are the two product sections making the highest use of EBA preferences.
The largest product sections under EBA (€ million, 2023)
EU imports from Mali making use of the preferences granted by the EBA are led by prepared foods and beverages, followed by base metals, preferential imports of which only really started in 2023. Preference utilisation in these two 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.