Senegal
As a least-developed country (LDC), Senegal is a beneficiary of the EU's "Everything but Arms" (EBA) arrangement. The World Bank classifies Senegal as a lower middle-income economy with a per-capita income of $1,706 in 2023. Total EU imports from Senegal amounted to about €477 million in 2023, and preferential imports to €238 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)
18.1M (2023)
Population
Presidential Republic
Government
4.6% (2023)
GDP Growth
5.9% (2023)
Inflation
$ 30.8B (2023)
GDP
Facts about Senegal's economy
Oil and Gas Production
In 2020, Senegal launched its first round for offshore oil and gas licenses. The production was announced to begin in 2022, but has been pushed; the first gas has started to flow in 2024. This could substantially accelerate economic growth.
Export Products
Senegal’s main export articles are mineral fuels and gold, followed by fish, crustaceans, and molluscs. Senegal also exports cement and different ores (titanium, niobium, tantalum, etc.).
Trade Partners
The EU is by far the most important trading partner for Senegal, accounting for 24% of total exports in 2023, followed by India (11%) and China (7%). Mali and India are the most important export destinations for Senegalese products. 31% of imports originate from the EU, followed by 8% each from China and India.
Economic Structure
The Senegalese economy, traditionally dependent on the cultivation of peanuts, managed to diversify into other areas of economic activity, including cotton, sugar cane and fish as well as mineral exploitation. The industrial sector is comparatively well developed and centres around the processing of food and handicrafts.
Usage of EBA Preferences
In 2023, 53% of EU imports from Senegal made use of the preferential markets access granted by the EBA. The preference utilisation rate, which represents the ratio of preferential imports to GSP eligible imports, stood at 83%.
Trade with the EU
Total trade with the EU amounted to €3.4 billion in 2023. The EU is Senegal's most important trading partner, accounting for a share of 24%. 32% of imports originate from the EU, whereas (only) about 7% of Senegal's exports go to the EU market.
Senegal and the EU
Imports from Senegal by product section (2023, € million)
Imports from Senegal over time (€ million)
SENEGAL AND THE EU GSP
Economic Impact
64%
Share of Senegal's exports to the EU that were eligible for EBA preferences in 2023.
83%
Senegal's preference utilisation rate in 2023.
86%
Share of zero-duty imports from Senegal.
Preference utilisation and export diversification
EU imports from Senegal (€ million)
Preference utilisation (%) vs. total eligible imports (in € million)
About two thirds of the EU's imports from Senegal are eligible for EBA preferences. Eligible imports showed an increasing trend until 2018/19 but since then have performed unevenly. Still, Senegal remains among the 10 most important EBA beneficiary countries. Senegal also belongs to the group of beneficiaries that take the highest advantage of the preferences granted by the GSP across all three arrangements. Until 2022, the preference utilisation rate was above 95%, but somewhat decreased to 83% in 2023 - primarily due to a drop in preference utilisation of the largest product group, fish and crustaceans (from 98% in 2022 to 81% in 2023). Conversely, preference utilisation of agricultural products, notably fruit and vegetables, remained close to 100%.
The largest product sections under EBA (€ million, 2023)
Three product sections currently account for about 92% of imports from Senegal under the EBA. Fish and crustaceans remain the most prominent product section. The Mid-Term Evaluation of the GSP conducted in 2018 showed that Senegal belongs to the EBA beneficiary countries with the highest level of export diversification.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Senegal, as a beneficiary of the EBA scheme, is not obligated to ratify any conventions to be able to benefit from preferential access to the EU market. Nonetheless, Senegal 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, Senegal 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-Senegal Bilateral Development Cooperation
DG INTPA
Access all info about EU-Senegal relations on the International Partnerships website.