Sudan
As a least-developed country (LDC), Sudan is a beneficiary of the EU's "Everything but Arms" (EBA) arrangement. The World Bank classifies Sudan as a low-income economy, although its a per-capita income in 2023 was $2,183. Total EU imports from Sudan amounted to more than €400 million in 2023, but preferential imports were insignificant, at less than €50 thousand - most of Sudan's exports enter the EU duty-free under the EU's normal tariff regime.
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)
50.0M (2023)
Population
Presidential Republic
Government
-20.1% (2023)
GDP Growth
77.2% (2023)
Inflation
$ 109.3B (2023)
GDP
Facts about Sudan's economy
Gum Arabic
Until the civil war broke out in 2023, Sudan was the world’s largest producer and exporter of gum Arabic, accounting for about 70% of the world’s supply.
Export Products
Sudan’s main export goods are petroleum oils, gold and agricultural products and livestock like sesame seeds, sheep, natural gum Arabic, cotton, and melon seeds.
Trade Partners
Sudan's main trading partners in 2023 were the UAE (25% of total trade), Egypt (14%), and India (9%). About one third of Sudan's exports went to the UAE, followed by 19% destined for Egypt. Most of the imports originate from Macao (21%) and the UAE (13%).
Economic Structure
The economy has been heavily affected by the civil war since 2023. Previously, the cultivation and processing of agricultural commodities remains the cornerstone of Sudan's economy since former petroleum reserves fell to South Sudan after the secession. The manufacturing sector is small, both in terms of its contribution to the GDP and as an employer.
Usage of EBA Preferences
Because most of Sudan's exports to the EU enter the common market at zero duties under the normal tariff regime, EBA preferences play a limited role.
Trade with the EU
Total trade with the EU amounted to € 943 million in 2023, about 7% of Sudan's total trade. The EU is Sudan's sixth most important trading partner.
Sudan and the EU
Imports from Sudan by product section (2023, € million)
Imports from Sudan over time (€ million)
SUDAN AND THE EU GSP
Economic Impact
1%
Only a small share of Sudan's exports to the EU were eligible for EBA preferences in 2023.
1%
Sudan hardly made use of EBA preferences in 2023.
99%
Share of zero-duty imports from Sudan. Most imports are duty-free under normal EU tariffs.
Preference utilisation and export diversification
EU imports from Sudan (€ million)
Preference utilisation (%) vs. total eligible imports (in € million)
Only a small share of EU imports from Sudan is traded under EBA preferences because most imports are duty-free under the EU's normal tariffs. Eligible imports decreased since 2014 and all but disappeared in 2023 as a result of the war. Likewise, preference utilisation collapsed in 2023, from a value of 80% and more in previous years.
The largest product sections under EBA (€ million, 2023)
Most EU imports from Sudan enjoy zero tariffs under the EU's normal tariff regime. Preferential imports from Sudan, which were highly concentrated in food preparations, dropped from about €16.5 million in 2021 to about €9.3 million in 2022, and then all but disappeared in 2023.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The preferential access to the EU market granted by the EBA scheme is not bound to the ratification of international conventions. Nevertheless, Sudan 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 all 12 conventions on environmental protection and good governance. The most recent ratifications were in 2021, when Sudan ratified the Convention Against Torture and the ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association.
Core international conventions on human rights and labour standards
Not Ratified
- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1981)
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-Sudan Bilateral Development Cooperation
DG INTPA
Access all info about EU-Sudan relations on the International Partnerships website.