Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe is a beneficiary of the EU's "Everything but Arms" (EBA) arrangement, but because the country graduated from least-developed country (LDC) status in 2024, it will become a standard GSP beneficiary country on 1 January 2029. The World Bank classifies Sao Tome and Principe as a lower middle-income economy with a per-capita income of $4,084 in 2025. Total EU imports from Sao Tome and Principe amounted to about €30 million in 2025, the highest since at least 2009, and preferential imports to €6.7 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 (2025, € million)
0.2M (2025)
Population
Semi-Presidential Republic
Government
1.0% (2025)
GDP Growth
11.0% (2025)
Inflation
$ 1.0B (2025)
GDP
Facts about Sao Tome and Principe's economy
Island Economy
Sao Tome and Principe is an island economy located off the western coast of Central Africa. The islands are covered by mountains and part of an extinct volcano-ridge.
Export Products
The main export articles of Sao Tome and Principe are cocoa beans and palm oil.
Trade Partners
Angola (32% of total trade in 2025), Togo and the EU (25% each) were the most important trading partners for Sao Tome and Principe in 2025; they are also the most important suppliers.
Economic Structure
Sao Tome and Principe can benefit from excellent climatic conditions for the cultivation of cocoa and coconut palms. These two commodities build the foundation of the economy. The industrial sector remains small and mostly focusses on the production of food and beverages, soap, and other consumer goods for the small domestic market.
Cocoa Production
The most important commodity for Sao Tome and Principe is cocoa. It accounted for more than 70% of the country’s exports in 2025.
Trade with the EU
Total trade with the EU amounted to €70 million in 2025, 25% of the country's total trade. More than 90% of the country's (limited) exports went to the EU market and 24% of imports originated from the EU in 2025.
Sao Tome and Principe and the EU
Imports from Sao Tome and Principe by product section (2025, € million)
Imports from Sao Tome and Principe over time (€ million)
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE AND THE EU GSP
Economic Impact
25%
Share of Sao Tome and Principe's exports to the EU that were eligible for EBA preferences in 2025.
88%
Sao Tome and Principe's preference utilisation rate in 2025.
97%
Share of zero-duty imports from Sao Tome and Principe in 2025. Most imports are duty-free under normal EU tariffs.
Preference utilisation and export diversification
EU imports from Sao Tome and Principe (€ million)
Preference utilisation (%) vs. total eligible imports (in € million)
With the main export product, cocoa, already benefitting from zero duties under the EU's normal tariffs, only a limited share of EU imports from Sao Tome and Principe is eligible for EBA preferences. Nevertheless, eligible imports have strongly increased since 2017. The preference utilisation rate also steadily increased from just above 50% in 2015 to more than 90% since 2020. This also applies to the main EBA-eligible export category, edible oils.
The largest product sections under EBA (€ million, 2025)
EU preferential imports from Sao Tome and Principe are dominated by vegetable oils, which accounted for 98% of total preferential imports from the country in 2025. The largest product category, food preparations, is duty free under the EU's normal tariffs and hence EBA preferences do not apply to them.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The preferential access to the EU market granted by the EBA scheme is not bound to the ratification of international conventions. Nevertheless, Sao Tome and Principe has a high level of ratification of international conventions. The country has ratified 14 out of 15 fundamental conventions on human rights and labour standards listed in the GSP Regulation, as well as 11 out of the 12 conventions on environmental protection and good governance.
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)
- 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-Sao Tome and Principe Bilateral Development Cooperation
DG INTPA
Access all info about EU-São Tomé and Príncipe relations on the International Partnerships website.