US and Cabo Verde
What moves each way, the scams to watch for, and what to check before you trade.
Trade safely with Cabo Verde
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 2025, the US sold Cabo Verde about $38.4 million of goods. The biggest products were commodities not specified according to kind, surveying and maize, which together make up 82% of the total. More than half of this trade is one product (commodities not specified according to kind), so it leans heavily on that one line. The total has grown by about 35% a year since 2022. Among the leading products, navigational instruments and appliances is growing fastest, at about 305% a year.
In 2025, the US bought about $6.2 million of goods from Cabo Verde. The biggest products were commodities not specified according to kind, prepared or preserved fish and ethyl alcohol, undenatured, which together make up 79% of the total. The total has fallen by about 4.7% a year since 2022. Among the leading products, commodities not specified according to kind is growing fastest, at about 69% 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 | US sells to Cabo Verde | US buys from Cabo Verde |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $15.6m | $7.1m |
| 2023 | $61.7m | $6.4m |
| 2024 | $12.2m | $4.7m |
| 2025 | $38.4m | $6.2m |
What US sells to Cabo Verde
Ranked by value in 2025, by 4-digit product code. Growth is the yearly rate since 2022.
| Product | Value | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commodities not specified according to kind Product code 9999 · Other | $23.1m | 60.2% | +110.1% a year |
| Surveying (including photogrammetrical surveying), hydrographic, oceanographic, hydrological, meteorological o… Product code 9015 · Optical and medical instruments | $4.5m | 11.7% | +101.9% a year |
| Maize (corn) Product code 1005 · Cereals | $3.9m | 10.2% | n/a |
Biggest product groups: Other (60%), Optical and medical instruments (13%), Cereals (10%), Furniture and bedding (5%), Vehicles (3%) .
What US buys from Cabo Verde
Ranked by value in 2025, by 4-digit product code. Growth is the yearly rate since 2022.
| Product | Value | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commodities not specified according to kind Product code 9999 · Other | $2.6m | 42.9% | +69.3% a year |
| Prepared or preserved fish (caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs) Product code 1604 · Meat and fish preparations | $1.5m | 24.3% | -11.4% a year |
| Ethyl alcohol, undenatured (of an alcoholic strength by volume of less than 80% volume, spirits, liqueurs and… Product code 2208 · Beverages and spirits | $735k | 11.9% | +27.5% a year |
Biggest product groups: Other (43%), Meat and fish preparations (24%), Beverages and spirits (13%), Cereal and baked goods (6%), Knitted clothing (4%) .
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.