Burkina Faso and Mali
What moves each way, the scams to watch for, and what to check before you trade.
Trade safely with Mali
The scams, documents and rules that matter on this corridor. Written and reviewed by our team, and dated.
Corridor-specific scam patterns and rules are still being reviewed by our team and will appear here once published.
- Confirm the company exists in an official register and that its name matches the one on the invoice.
- Before paying into a new or changed bank account, phone the company on a number you already hold, not one from the invoice or email.
- Test the container number, ship number, ports and dates on the bill of lading with the Document checker.
- Be wary of paying in advance for goods you have not seen, or of fees demanded to release a shipment.
- Ask the carrier directly to confirm the shipment exists and where it is.
In 2024, Burkina Faso sold Mali about $129.9 million of goods. The biggest products were portland cement, aluminous cement, waters, including mineral and aerated waters and iron or non-alloy steel, bars and rods, which together make up 66% of the total. More than half of this trade is one product (portland cement, aluminous cement), so it leans heavily on that one line. The total has fallen by about 34% a year since 2022. Among the leading products, iron or non-alloy steel, bars and rods is growing fastest, at about 159% a year.
In 2024, Burkina Faso bought about $24.1 million of goods from Mali. The biggest products were fertilizers, mineral or chemical, medicaments and ethyl alcohol, undenatured, which together make up 88% of the total. More than half of this trade is one product (fertilizers, mineral or chemical), so it leans heavily on that one line. The total has grown by about 11% a year since 2022. Among the leading products, buckwheat, millet and canary seeds is growing fastest, at about 533% a year.
Trade by year
Total trade each year, as reported in the tables below. A missing bar means no report for that year, not zero trade.
View as a table
| Year | Burkina Faso sells to Mali | Burkina Faso buys from Mali |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $301.9m | $19.4m |
| 2023 | $268.3m | $34.2m |
| 2024 | $129.9m | $24.1m |
What Burkina Faso sells to Mali
Ranked by value in 2024, by 4-digit product code. Growth is the yearly rate since 2022.
| Product | Value | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland cement, aluminous cement (ciment fondu), slag cement, supersulphate cement and similar hydraulic ceme… Product code 2523 · Salt, stone and cement | $70.2m | 54.0% | -7.1% a year |
| Waters, including mineral and aerated waters, containing added sugar or sweetening matter, flavoured (other no… Product code 2202 · Beverages and spirits | $10.2m | 7.8% | +106.5% a year |
| Iron or non-alloy steel (bars and rods, hot-rolled, in irregularly wound coils) Product code 7213 · Iron and steel | $6.0m Mali reports none | 4.6% | +159.0% a year |
Biggest product groups: Salt, stone and cement (54%), Iron and steel (10%), Beverages and spirits (8%), Vehicles (6%), Machinery (5%) .
What Burkina Faso buys from Mali
Ranked by value in 2024, by 4-digit product code. Growth is the yearly rate since 2022.
| Product | Value | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fertilizers (mineral or chemical, containing 2 or 3 of the elements nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, other fer… Product code 3105 · Fertilisers | $17.2m | 71.4% | +20.8% a year |
| Medicaments ((not goods of heading no. 3002, 3005 or 3006) consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therape… Product code 3004 · Pharmaceuticals | $3.4m | 14.2% | -13.2% a year |
| Ethyl alcohol, undenatured (of an alcoholic strength by volume of 80% vol. or higher, ethyl alcohol and other… Product code 2207 · Beverages and spirits | $542k Mali reports $7.4m | 2.2% | +185.3% a year |
Biggest product groups: Fertilisers (71%), Pharmaceuticals (15%), Beverages and spirits (2%), Inorganic chemicals (2%), Cereals (2%) .
Where the opportunities are
Products that are moving on this corridor. Only products of a meaningful size are listed. Treat these as leads to check, not promises: a fast rise can reverse.
Room to grow
Products that a market buys a lot of, where this corridor supplies only a small part. Shares are for the latest year both sides reported. A small share can also mean a hard market, so check the rules and the buyer first.
A free account shows the complete product lists, every fast-growing and new product, and the markets where this corridor supplies little. Accounts are checked by hand, so use your business email.
Create a free account Sign inHow to read these figures
Value is what was traded in the year, in US dollars. A big number means a big market, not necessarily an easy one to enter.
Share is that product's part of the total in the table above. A product with a large share is what this corridor already trades most of.
Growth is the average yearly change since the first year shown. A green figure means trade in that product is rising.
Product code is the international customs code (HS) for the product group. Your customs agent and the guide below will ask for it, and it decides the duty you pay.
These are totals reported by customs authorities, not prices or orders. Use them to see where demand exists, then check the rules and the company you plan to deal with.
Next steps
Trade figures are what each country reported to the UN (Comtrade), in US dollars. Imports are usually reported including freight and insurance, exports without, so the two sides of a corridor will not match exactly. Company counts are companies listed on ExporterIQ.