Mali and Niger
What moves each way, the scams to watch for, and what to check before you trade.
Trade safely with Niger
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, Mali sold Niger about $4.7 million of goods. The biggest products were bovine animals, live, waters, including mineral and aerated waters and sheep and goats, live, which together make up 69% of the total. The total has grown by about 2.5% a year since 2022. Among the leading products, structures of iron or steel and parts thereof is growing fastest, at about 1,478% a year.
In 2024, Mali bought about $23.6 million of goods from Niger. The biggest products were petroleum oils and oils from bituminous…, dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, guavas and instruments and apparatus, which together make up 100% of the total. More than half of this trade is one product (petroleum oils and oils from bituminous…), so it leans heavily on that one line. The total has fallen by about 50% a year since 2022. Among the leading products, pepper of the genus piper is growing fastest, at about 729% 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 | Mali sells to Niger | Mali buys from Niger |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $4.5m | $93.3m |
| 2023 | $3.4m | $47.2m |
| 2024 | $4.7m | $23.6m |
What Mali sells to Niger
Ranked by value in 2024, by 4-digit product code. Growth is the yearly rate since 2022.
| Product | Value | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bovine animals (live) Product code 0102 · Live animals | $1.4m Niger reports none | 30.8% | n/a |
| Waters, including mineral and aerated waters, containing added sugar or sweetening matter, flavoured (other no… Product code 2202 · Beverages and spirits | $1.2m Niger reports none | 24.6% | +5.6% a year |
| Sheep and goats (live) Product code 0104 · Live animals | $630k Niger reports none | 13.5% | +56.6% a year |
Biggest product groups: Live animals (46%), Beverages and spirits (26%), Pharmaceuticals (12%), Iron and steel articles (9%), Miscellaneous chemicals (3%) .
What Mali buys from Niger
Ranked by value in 2024, by 4-digit product code. Growth is the yearly rate since 2022.
| Product | Value | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, not crude (preparations not listed elsewhere, containing by… Product code 2710 · Fuels and oils | $23.4m | 99.1% | -49.6% a year |
| Dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, guavas, mangoes and mangosteens (fresh or dried) Product code 0804 · Fruit and nuts | $64k Niger reports $397k | 0.3% | +216.4% a year |
| Instruments and apparatus (for physical or chemical analysis (e.g. polarimeters, spectrometers), for measuring… Product code 9027 · Optical and medical instruments | $32k | 0.1% | +44.6% a year |
Biggest product groups: Fuels and oils (99%), Fruit and nuts (0%), Optical and medical instruments (0%), Coffee, tea and spices (0%), Vehicles (0%) .
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.