Mali

Mali is a beneficiary of the EU's "Everything but Arms" (EBA) scheme for least developed countries. With a per-capita income of $ 850 in 2022, the World Bank categorises Mali as a low-income economy. Total EU imports from Mali amounted to about € 40 million in 2022. Only a small share of about 12% of all EU imports from Mali is traded using EBA preferences.

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.

Mali flag

At a glance: EBA beneficiaries' preferential imports to the EU

group

22,59 M

Population

account_balance
Semi-Presidential Republic

Government

trending_up

3.70%

GDP Growth

equalizer

2.80%

Inflation

money

$ 18,83 B

GDP

26 v

Freedomhouse index

4 -

ITUC Global Rights Index

28.5 v

Environmental Performance Index

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 products are gold, raw cotton, sesame seeds, tropical wood, and fruits.

Trade Partners

Mali's most important trading partner is Senegal, followed by South Africa, Switzerland, Ivory Coast and the EU. South Africa is by far the most important export market (33%) and 23.8% of Mali's exports go to the Swiss market.

Economic Structure

About 80% of Mali's population are employed in the agricultural sector, which predominantly focusses on subsistence farming an represents 33% of Mali's GDP. 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 accounts for about one quarter of Mali’s total exports and contributes about 8% to the country’s GDP.

Trade with the EU

Total trade with the EU summed up to €1,366 million in 2022. The EU is Mali's fifth most important trading partner and accounts for a share of 9.4%, which, however, mainly results from the importance of EU imports. Only 1.4% of Mali's exports go to the European market.

Mali and the EU (2022)

Imports from Mali by product section

Imports from Mali over time (in € m)

MALI AND THE EU’s GSP

Economic Impact

27%

About 27% of Mali's exports to the EU market are eligible for preferences granted by the EU's EBA.

43.90%

Mali currently takes good use of the preferences granted under the EBA.

Preference utilisation and export diversification

Mali's imports to the EU

Preference Utilisation vs. total eligible imports

Following the GSP reform in 2014, Mali’s preference utilisation rate increased and stabilised around 80% for four years before declining to 27% in 2018 and increasing to 72% in 2020. In 2022 the utilisation rate dropped to 44%. Overall, only about 27% of Mali’s exports to the EU are eligible for EBA preferences. A considerable share of the country’s exports, including fruit and cotton, already benefit from zero third-country duties. Furthermore, Mali benefits from an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union.

The largest product sections under EBA

Even though exports of prepared foods and beverages substantially decreased in the past two years, the product section still takes the biggest advantage of the free market access granted under the EBA. This section is followed by cereals, instruments and agricultural products. Overall EU imports from Mali increased by almost 50 between 2016 and 2018, which can be mainly attributed to an expansion of the textile sector.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

As a beneficiary of the EBA, Mali is not obligated to ratify any conventions to be able to benefit from preferential access to the European market. Nonetheless, Mali maintains a high level of ratification and has ratified all 15 core international conventions on human and labour rights, which includes 7 UN human rights conventions and 8 ILO conventions on labour standards. Additionally, Mali 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-Mali Bilateral Development Assistance

DG INTPA

Access all info about EU-Mali relations on the International Partnerships website: https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/countries/mali_en

Opportunities in Mali

  • Mali is rich in mineral resources, gold in particular. However, additional opportunities exist in mining uranium, bauxite, phosphates, iron, lithium, and manganese
  • Young and growing population
  • Heavy investments in infrastructure. The government launched a program which foresees the creation of 8700 km of roads and 6 bridges until 2023

Contact points