Country Information - Botswana

ECONOMIC BACKGROUND Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest growth rates since independence in 1966. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $7,800 in 2001. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fuelled much of this expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and for four-fifths of export earnings. Tourism, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially is 21%, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. Click here for Country Map [23kB]

BI-LATERAL TRADE OVERVIEW Except for the year 2000, when Botswana's exports to the United States peaked, the country records a trade deficit with the U.S. For the full year 2002, this trade deficit amounted to approximately $ 2,1 million. In terms of Sub-Saharan African countries' exports to the U.S., Botswana ranks in the bottom half. No exports under the provisions of AGOA occurred during 2001, although U.S. trade data reveals that some exports qualified under AGOA during 2002. These consist entirely of qualifying exports in the apparel category, Botswana having qualified under the "Wearing Apparel Provisions" only in October 2001. Having recently been declared a "Lesser Developed Country" under AGOA, the country may until September 30, 2004 utilise third country inputs in the manufacture of AGOA-eligible wearing apparel. This should see AGOA-eligible exports increase significantly over the next while. Botswana's exports to the U.S. are currently dominated by minerals and metals, which during 2001 accounted for over 70% of the country's exports to the U.S. For the year 2002, this figure remained fairly constant at 72%. Detailed bilateral trade data for this country, disaggregated by industry sector, can be accessed by following the link below. Aggregate data featuring all AGOA-eligible countries is updated on this website as soon as new data is published, including ranked AGOA / non-AGOA trade, aggregate trade by industry sector as well as the latest apparel trade data. Click here for Detailed Trade Profile