Gabon recorded a trade surplus of $6.90 billion in 2025, according to data from Afreximbank’s African Trade Report 2026. This result, achieved in a global environment marked by contracting trade, falling oil prices, and disruptions to shipping routes, reflects the structural strength of the country’s external position.
The surplus is built on a net differential between exports maintained at $10.73 billion and stable imports of $3.83 billion. This export-to-import ratio of over 2.8 to 1 places Gabon in a favorable position within the CEMAC zone, where several economies saw their trade balances shrink due to rising freight and input costs.
The global backdrop was not supportive. World merchandise trade grew only 4.6% in 2025 after a contraction in 2023, and forecasts for 2026 point to a sharp slowdown to 1.4%. Against this backdrop, maintaining such a significant surplus sends a positive signal to investors and institutional partners of Gabon.
Gabon’s trade surplus also provides a foundation to rebuild foreign exchange reserves, which stand at $1 billion, equivalent to 2.1 months of import cover. This level, below the IMF-recommended threshold of three months, remains the main point of caution for the authorities. Converting a structural trade surplus into consolidated reserves is one of the most immediate macroeconomic management challenges for Libreville.
