Overview In 2021 Lesotho was the number 160 economy in the world in terms of total exports and the number 171 in total imports.

Exports The top exports of Lesotho are Diamonds ($373M), Knit Women's Suits ($128M), Non-Knit Men's Suits ($112M), Wool ($57.6M), and Low-voltage Protection Equipment ($44.7M), exporting mostly to United States ($344M), South Africa ($325M), Belgium ($252M), United Arab Emirates ($52.4M), and Switzerland ($30.9M).

Imports The top imports of Lesotho are Refined Petroleum ($166M), Light Rubberized Knitted Fabric ($79.9M), Poultry Meat ($38.9M), Cereal Meal and Pellets ($35.6M), and Electricity ($34.8M), importing mostly from South Africa ($1.39B), China ($84.4M), Chinese Taipei ($47.5M), India ($16M), and Hong Kong ($7.92M).

Location Lesotho borders South Africa by land.

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The following section uses the most recent trade data from partners of Lesotho.

Disclaimer: data is presented based on availability and only countries that use the harmonized system are being shown.

*All data is converted to USD using January 2020 exchange rates when data is reported in local currency.

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The data obtained is mirror data. The trade of countries that do not report current data can be reconstructed based on data reported by partner countries with current data available.

*All data is converted to USD using January 2020 exchange rates when data is reported in local currency.

Historical Data

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Top Export (2021): Diamonds, $373M

Top Destination (2021): United States, $344M

In 2021, Lesotho exported a total of $1.07B, making it the number 160 exporter in the world. During the last five reported years the exports of Lesotho have changed by $122M from $945M in 2016 to $1.07B in 2021.

The most recent exports are led by Diamonds ($373M), Knit Women's Suits ($128M), Non-Knit Men's Suits ($112M), Wool ($57.6M), and Low-voltage Protection Equipment ($44.7M). The most common destination for the exports of Lesotho are United States ($344M), South Africa ($325M), Belgium ($252M), United Arab Emirates ($52.4M), and Switzerland ($30.9M).

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Fastest Growing Export Markets (2020 - 2021)

Fastest Growing Import Markets (2020 - 2021)

Lesotho Exports Services (2018): $36.5M

Lesotho Imports Services (2018): $492M

In 2018, Lesotho exported $36.5M worth of services. The top services exported by Lesotho in 2018 were Personal travel ($23.4M), Miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services ($5.07M), Merchanting and other trade-related services ($3.83M), Embassies and consulates ($2.73M), and Air transport ($553k).

The top services imported by Lesotho in 2018 were Business travel ($324M), Other transport ($55.4M), Miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services ($41.4M), Government services, n.i.e. ($23M), and Merchanting and other trade-related services ($12.9M).

Economic Complexity

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Most Specialized Products by RCA Index

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Lesotho has a high level of specialization in Wool (311), Animal Hair (250), Bedspreads (107), Knit Men's Shirts (67.4), and Diamonds (64.3). Specialization is measured using RCA, an index that takes the ratio between Lesotho observed and expected exports in each product.

Most Complex Products by PCI

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The highest complexity exports of Lesotho according to the product complexity index (PCI) are Low-voltage Protection Equipment (0.7), Candles (0.31), Non-Retail Synthetic Staple Fibers Yarn (-0.24), Paper Containers (-0.41), and Heavy Mixed Woven Cotton (-0.55). PCI measures the knowledge intensity of a product by considering the knowledge intensity of its exporters.

Export Opportunities by Relatedness

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The top export opportunities for Lesotho according to the relatedness index, were Packing Bags (0.12), Non-Knit Women's Undergarments (0.12), Crustaceans (0.11), Cassava (0.11), and Leather Apparel (0.11). Relatedness measures the distance between a country's current exports and each product. The barchart show only products that Lesotho is not specialized in.

The product space is a network connecting products that are likely to be co-exported. The product space can be used to predict future exports, since countries are more likely to start exporting products that are related to current exports. Relatedness measures the distance between a product, and all of the products a country currently specializes in.

Relatedness Space

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This network shows the products most related to the production structure of Lesotho. These are products that tend to be co-exported with the products that Lesotho exports. Higher relatedness values ​​indicate greater knowledge, which predicts a greater probability of exporting that product in the future.

Diversification Frontier

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The Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk vs strategic value of a country's potential export oppotunities. Relatedness is predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth, less income inequality, and lower greenhouse emissions.