Mauritania
As a least-developed country (LDC), Mauritania is a beneficiary of the EU's "Everything but Arms" (EBA) arrangement. The World Bank classifies Mauritania as a lower middle-income economy with a per-capita income of $2,121 in 2023. Total EU imports from Mauritania amounted to about €603 million in 2023, and preferential imports to €343 million.
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)
5.0M (2023)
Population
Presidential Republic
Government
6.5% (2023)
GDP Growth
5.0% (2023)
Inflation
$ 10.7B (2023)
GDP
Facts about Mauritania's economy
Mineral Products
Mauritania is an important producer of mineral products. About 35% (2023) of Mauritania’s exports are accounted for by iron ore, which makes the country one of the world’s leading exporters of the commodity. Mauritania also possesses copper, gold, silver and crude oil reserves and explorations are still ongoing.
Export Products
Mauritania's important export products are gold and ores (mostly iron and some copper) but also molluscs, frozen fish, and fish products (oil, flour, pellets etc.).
Trade Partners
Mauritania's top trading partners are the EU, the UAE, and China. Most of Mauritania's exports go to the Chinese market (23% of total exports in 2023), followed by Canada (22%), and the EU (20%). Most imports originate from the EU (35%), the UAE (19%), and Brazil (7%).
Economic Structure
Mauritania's economy benefits from the country's resource wealth, mineral deposits, and richness of fishing ground off the coast in particular. The exploitation of iron ore and copper is a cornerstone of the external sector. The majority of the population is active in the agricultural sector, mainly livestock raising, as only about 0.5% of the land is arable.
Usage of EBA Preferences
About 57% of EU total imports from Mauritania made use of EBA preferences in 2023. The preference utilisation rate, which represents the ratio of preferential imports to GSP eligible imports, has consistently been very high (93% in 2023).
Trade with the EU
Total trade with the EU amounted to € 2.2 billion in 2023. The EU is Mauritania's top trading partner, accounting for 29% of the country's total trade. It ranks first as a source of imports and third as an export destination.
Mauritania and the EU
Imports from Mauritania by product section (2023, € million)
Imports from Mauritania over time (€ million)
MAURITANIA AND THE EU GSP
Economic Impact
61%
Share of Mauritania's exports to the EU that were eligible for EBA preferences in 2023.
93%
Mauritania's preference utilisation rate in 2023.
96%
Share of zero-duty imports from Mauritania.
Preference utilisation and export diversification
EU imports from Mauritania (€ million)
Preference utilisation (%) vs. total eligible imports (in € million)
Except for a dip in the COVID-19 years 2020 and 2021, EU imports of EBA preference eligible products from Mauritania showed a positive trend (although dropping somewhat in 2023). Mauritania belongs to the GSP beneficiaries that take the most advantage of the scheme across all three arrangements. The country’s preference utilisation rate has consistently stood above 90% (93% in 2023). The biggest product group of the three major export sectors, fish and crustaceans, benefits from free market access granted by the EBA arrangement. The other two major export products, iron ores and fish flour, already benefit from zero third country duties.
The largest product sections under EBA (€ million, 2023)
Exports of fish and crustaceans are the only product group that take considerable advantage of the preferences granted under the EBA. Other sections that take advantage to a smaller extent are fats and oils, mineral and agricultural products and plastic articles.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
As a beneficiary of the EBA, Mauritania is not obligated to ratify any conventions to be able to benefit from preferential access to the EU market. Nonetheless, Mauritania upholds a very high level of ratification and has ratified 14 out of 15 fundamental conventions on the protection of human rights and labour standards. Furthermore, Mauritania has ratified 8 conventions on environmental protection and 4 good governance conventions.
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-Mauritania Bilateral Development Cooperation
DG INTPA
Access all info about EU-Mauritania relations on the International Partnerships website.