Botswana’s international merchandise trade statistics for December 2024 reveal a significant trade deficit, with imports continuing to outstrip exports. According to the latest data released by Statistics Botswana, the country’s imports for the month were valued at P7,927.2 million, marking a 14.8% decrease from the revised November 2024 figure of P9,302.2 million. Despite this decline, the trade balance remained negative, with exports totaling P3,117.7 million, a 22.5% drop from the previous month’s revised figure of P4,021.8 million. This resulted in a trade deficit of P4,809.6 million for December 2024.

The leading import commodity groups for the month were diamonds, which accounted for 23.3% of total imports, followed by food, beverages, and tobacco at 17.0%, and fuel at 15.5%. Machinery and electrical equipment also contributed significantly, making up 12.3% of imports. The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) remained Botswana’s primary source of imports, accounting for 77.0% of the total. South Africa was the largest supplier within SACU, contributing 54.5% of total imports, followed by Namibia at 22.0%. Other notable import partners included China, Mozambique, and Canada.

On the export front, diamonds and copper were the main contributors, accounting for 55.4% and 24.7% of total exports, respectively. Asia was the largest market for Botswana’s exports, absorbing 59.6% of the total, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) being the top destination, receiving 35.1% of exports. Other key export destinations included South Africa, Australia, India, and China. The SACU region accounted for 16.1% of Botswana’s exports, with South Africa being the primary recipient within the bloc.

The mode of transport for trade also saw notable trends. Road transport dominated imports, accounting for 66.3% of the total, while air transport was the primary mode for exports, representing 57.1% of total exports. Rail transport played a smaller role, contributing 9.4% to imports and just 1.5% to exports.

Transit trade through Botswana also saw significant activity in December 2024, with goods worth P25,480.0 million passing through the country. The Martins Drift border post handled the majority of transit trade, accounting for 66.4% of the total, followed by the Kazungula Bridge and Mamuno border posts. The top transiting goods included inorganic chemicals, copper, and ores, which together made up a substantial portion of the transit trade.

The data revisions for previous months highlighted significant adjustments, particularly for November 2024, where diamond exports were revised upward by P1,632.6 million due to the finalization of customs processing. This revision contributed to a 75.7% increase in total exports for November compared to the previous digest.