Burkina Faso: Trade Under Pressure and the Corridor Economy's Stakes
Burkina Faso is a major cotton and gold exporter facing severe insecurity in its north. Trade corridors through Abidjan, Lomé, and Cotonou are vital economic lifelines whose continuity directly impacts landlocked Sahelian trade.
Burkina Faso's economy generates approximately $18 billion in GDP, with gold accounting for over 75 percent of merchandise export revenues. The industrial mines operated by Endeavour Mining, West African Resources, and others generated approximately $4 billion in gold exports in 2023. Cotton is the second export crop, with approximately 700,000 tonnes of seed cotton produced annually by smallholder farmers in the southwest, processed in Bobo-Dioulasso and exported through Abidjan. Burkina Faso is entirely landlocked, with its external trade flowing primarily through Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), Lomé (Togo), and Tema (Ghana).
Security Impact on Trade
The expansion of jihadist insurgency since 2015 from the north into central Burkina Faso has disrupted agricultural production in affected regions, prevented mining operations in northern concessions, and made road transport on northern corridors extremely dangerous. The military government that took power in 2022 has maintained economic policies broadly continuous with those of civilian governments, preserving investor relations in the mining sector. Businesses trading with or through Burkina Faso should monitor security conditions carefully. Market data and logistics contacts for the Sahelian corridor are available on intra-africa.com.
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