In March, the Central Bank of Sudan (CBOS) issued its Statistical Brief on Foreign Trade for 2025. With this release, the Bank has now published a summary for each quarter of 2025, following a disruption in its reporting during the outbreak of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Reporting had resumed earlier with the publication of a single statistical brief covering the entire 2024 in March 2025.
Below is a presentation of the most significant findings of the 2025 report, what its figures reveal, and how the war has reshaped Sudan’s economy.
A Snapshot of the Trade Balance Deficit
Sudan’s exports in 2025 reached approximately $2.64 billion, the lowest level recorded in the past decade.
Figure 1: Imports and exports for the years 2022–2025 (values in thousands of USD)
Sudan’s exports in 2025 reached approximately $2.64 billion, the lowest level recorded in the past decade. Imports, meanwhile, totaled around $6.5 billion, representing about 68 per cent of the average annual imports during the five pre-war years (2018–2022) which stood at approximately $9.6 billion.
Imports saw a notable increase in 2025 after declining to around $4.9 billion in 2024, a figure equivalent to roughly half the pre-war average.
Figure 2: Imports and exports for the years 2004–2025 (values in thousands of USD)
Why Did Exports Decline?
Figures 3–5 illustrate the composition of exports for the years 2022, 2024, and 2025, respectively. They show a steady decline in the share of agricultural exports following the outbreak of war, with their value falling to approximately $604 million in 2025, compared to around $1 billion in 2024 and $1.68 billion in 2022.
Thus, agricultural exports in 2025 amounted to roughly half their 2024 level and about one-third of their 2022 level.
Figure 3: Export composition in 2022
Figure 4: Export composition in 2024
Figure 5: Export composition in 2025
More specifically, groundnut exports experienced the sharpest decline in 2025, dropping to approximately $2 million, compared to about $293 million in 2024 and $351 million in 2022. Cotton exports also remained subdued, reaching approximately $64 million in 2025, down from around $384 million in 2022 and $82 million in 2024.
Figure 6: Agricultural exports in 2022, 2024, and 2025 (values in thousands of USD)
Figure 5 also indicates an increase in gold’s share of total exports. However, this increase reflects the decline in both agricultural and livestock exports rather than an absolute rise in gold exports. In fact, gold exports themselves declined in 2025 compared to both 2022 and 2024, reaching approximately $1.54 billion, down from about $1.57 billion in 2024 and nearly $2 billion in 2022.
Figure 7: Mineral exports in 2022, 2024, and 2025 (values in thousands of USD)
As for livestock exports, they declined slightly in 2025 compared to 2024. Total livestock exports stood at approximately $471 million in 2025, compared to $535 million in 2024 and $551 million in 2022. Figure 8 shows a marked decline in exports of camels and cattle, while sheep exports remained relatively stable. It also shows the continued decline in exports of slaughtered meat despite the reopening of Al-Kadaro slaughterhouse in August 2025 and the opening of a new slaughterhouse in Al-Gadarif in June 2024.
Figure 8: Livestock exports in 2022, 2024, and 2025 (values in thousands of USD)
Imports
Figure 9 presents the composition of imports for the years 2022, 2024, and 2025. It shows that the value of most import categories remains below pre-war levels. However, it also highlights a notable increase in imports in 2025 compared to 2024.
Machinery and equipment, chemicals, and manufactured goods all recorded significant increases. Machinery and equipment imports rose to approximately $904 million in 2025, up from $448 million in 2024. Chemical imports increased to about $780 million from $490 million, while manufactured goods rose to around $950 million from $667 million, representing increases of approximately 101 per cent, 59 per cent, and 42 per cent, respectively.
Figure 9: Overview of Sudan’s imports in 2022, 2024, and 2025 (values in thousands of USD)
Figure 10 shows Sudan’s imports of food commodities for the years 2022, 2024, and 2025. It highlights an increase in wheat imports in 2025 compared to 2024, alongside a decline in wheat flour imports. This shift reflects a partial return to pre-war import patterns, when wheat imports exceeded flour imports due to the presence of domestic mills processing wheat into flour. These mills, most of which were located in Khartoum State, ceased operations after the RSF took control of much of the state at the outbreak of war in 2023. This led to a surge in flour imports and a decline in wheat imports.
Although wheat imports increased again in 2025 following the resumption of operations at some mills, overall levels remain significantly below pre-war figures. More broadly, imports of most food categories remain below their pre-2023 levels.
Figure 10: Food imports in 2022, 2024, and 2025 (values in thousands of USD)
Imports of fuel products remain significantly below pre-war levels and declined further in 2025 compared to 2024. Diesel imports, widely used in agriculture, fell to approximately $120 million in 2025, down from $546 million in 2024 and $993 million in 2022.
Similarly, gasoline imports declined to about $102 million in 2025, compared to $164 million in 2024 and $253 million in 2022. Natural gas imports, however, increased to approximately $94 million in 2025, up from $43 million in 2024 and $58 million in 2022.
Figure 11: Raw material imports in 2022, 2024, and 2025 (values in thousands of USD)
Despite the more than 100 per cent increase in machinery and equipment imports between 2024 and 2025, many subcategories remain below their 2022 levels. Electrical machinery imports rose to approximately $404 million in 2025, up from $162 million in 2024 and $258 million in 2022. Battery imports increased to about $93 million in 2025, compared to $36 million in 2024 and $79 million in 2022. Imports of media-sector equipment reached approximately $126 million in 2025, up from $107 million in 2024 and $116 million in 2022.
Figure 12: Machinery and equipment imports in 2022, 2024, and 2025 (values in thousands of USD)
A similar trend applies to chemical imports: while all categories increased in 2025 compared to 2024, they remain below 2022 levels. The largest increase was recorded in pharmaceutical imports, which reached approximately $522 million in 2025, up from $300 million in 2024, approaching the 2022 level of about $572 million.
Figure 13: Chemical imports in 2022, 2024, and 2025 (values in thousands of USD)
Among manufactured goods, the largest increases were recorded in iron and steel, cement, and stone products. Iron and steel imports rose to approximately $328 million in 2025, up from $221 million in 2024 and close to $353 million in 2022. Cement and stone product imports increased to approximately $225 million in 2025, compared to $190 million in 2024 and $65 million in 2022, reflecting a sustained upward trend following the war. Other categories of manufactured imports, however, remain significantly below their 2022 levels.
Figure 14: Manufactured goods imports in 2022, 2024, and 2025 (values in thousands of USD)
Imports of transport equipment have risen significantly since the outbreak of war. Truck imports increased from approximately $79 million in 2022 to $114 million in 2024, reaching $242 million in 2025. Passenger vehicle imports also rebounded sharply, reaching approximately $147 million in 2025 after dropping to $39 million in 2024. They had previously stood at $131 million in 2022. Imports of pipes and tires increased to around $137 million in 2025, up from $87 million in 2024 and compared to $124 million in 2022.
Figure 15: Transport equipment imports in 2022, 2024, and 2025 (values in thousands of USD)
Imports of “specialized textiles” have increased steadily since the war, rising from approximately $30 million in 2022 to $76 million in 2024 and reaching $146 million in 2025. Imports of ready-made garments and synthetic textiles (polyester and nylon) also increased in 2025 compared to 2024, though they remain below 2022 levels.
Ready-made garment imports reached approximately $72 million in 2025 (up from $39 million in 2024, but down from $152 million in 2022). Synthetic textile imports reached approximately $106 million in 2025, compared to $57 million in 2024 and $150 million in 2022.
Figure 16: Textile imports in 2022, 2024, and 2025 (values in thousands of USD)
Sudan’s Trade Partners
Exports to the UAE effectively collapsed after the country imposed a ban on Sudanese imports in August 2025.
Figures 17–19 show that the UAE remains Sudan’s largest export destination, despite a decline in export volumes amid publicly declared political tensions between the two countries related to alleged UAE support for the RSF, claims the UAE has consistently denied.
Sudanese exports to the UAE totaled approximately $926 million in 2025, down from $1.66 billion in 2024 and $2.08 billion in 2022, meaning exports have fallen to about 44.5 per cent of their 2022 level. This decline is largely attributed to reduced gold exports, which historically accounted for around 95 per cent of Sudan’s exports to the UAE.
At the same time, Egypt’s share of Sudanese exports increased significantly, reaching approximately $719 million in 2025, compared to around $277 million in 2024 and $635 million in 2022. Egypt thus became Sudan’s second-largest export destination in 2025.
This increase appears to have coincided with the decline in exports to the UAE. Figure 20 illustrates this shift: exports to the UAE effectively collapsed after the country imposed a ban on Sudanese imports in August 2025, while exports to Egypt rose sharply thereafter, with a notable surge in October.
Similarly, exports to China declined significantly, falling to approximately $54 million in 2025 from $287 million in 2024 and $576 million in 2022, representing just 10 per cent of their pre-war level. This decline is attributed to the collapse of agricultural exports, particularly groundnuts and cotton, which previously constituted a substantial share of Sudan’s exports to China.
Figure 17: Export destinations in 2022 (values in thousands of USD)
Figure 18: Export destinations in 2024 (values in thousands of USD)
Figure 19: Export destinations in 2025 (values in thousands of USD)
Figure 20: Monthly exports to Egypt and the UAE (values in thousands of USD)
Figures 21–23 present the other side of Sudan’s trade partner map: its import sources. The data show China rising to become Sudan’s largest supplier in 2025, with exports to Sudan totaling approximately $1.6 billion. The UAE followed with approximately $710 million, and India with around $657 million. Despite shifts in ranking, the overall structure of Sudan’s import partners has not changed significantly.
