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2023
Product
Exports | Imports $1.14B | $1.72B158 of 226 |  169 of 226
2023
Per Capita Product
Exports | Imports $493 | $744141 of 220 |  169 of 220

About

Overview In 2023 Lesotho was the number 158 economy in the world in terms of total exports and the number 169 in total imports.

Exports The top exports of Lesotho are Diamonds ($539M), Non-Knit Men's Suits ($70.9M), Wool ($62.8M), Knit Women's Suits ($61.4M), and Knit T-shirts ($45.1M), exporting mostly to South Africa ($351M), Belgium ($295M), United States ($228M), United Arab Emirates ($95.4M), and India ($86.3M).

Imports The top imports of Lesotho are Refined Petroleum ($203M), Light Rubberized Knitted Fabric ($71.4M), Delivery Trucks ($50.3M), Electricity ($44.1M), and Cereal Flours ($40.1M), importing mostly from South Africa ($1.34B), China ($168M), Chinese Taipei ($54.9M), Japan ($18.8M), and India ($17.2M).

Location Lesotho borders South Africa by land.

Latest Trends

Latest Trade

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Y-AXIS SCALE

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.

* Trade values are converted to USD using each month's exchange rate. For December 2023 data, the exchange rate from December 30, 2023 is used.

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Latest Data

Flow
Color
Depth

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.

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Historical Data

Yearly Trade

Flow
Color
Depth
Top Export (2023)Diamonds$539M
Top Destination (2023)South Africa$351M

In 2023, Lesotho exported a total of $1.14B, making it the number 158 exporter in the world. During the last five reported years the exports of Lesotho have changed by $127M from $1.01B in 2018 to $1.14B in 2023.

The most recent exports are led by Diamonds ($539M), Non-Knit Men's Suits ($70.9M), Wool ($62.8M), Knit Women's Suits ($61.4M), and Knit T-shirts ($45.1M). The most common destination for the exports of Lesotho are South Africa ($351M), Belgium ($295M), United States ($228M), United Arab Emirates ($95.4M), and India ($86.3M).

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Exports (2023)
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Destinations (2023)
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Market Growth

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Growth
Fastest Growing Export Markets (2022 - 2023)
India$86.3M (+ 3.9M%)
United Arab Emirates$21.8M (+ 29.6%)
Belgium$17.9M (+ 6.45%)
Fastest Growing Import Markets (2022 - 2023)
China$47.1M (+ 39%)
Vietnam$7.89M (+ 311%)
Mauritius$4.95M (+ 799%)

Total Export Growth by Market (2022 - 2023)

Potential Exports

Potential Exports

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Service Trade

Service Trade

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).

Service Exports (2018)

Service Imports (2018)

Economic Complexity

Most Specialized Products by RCA Index

Lesotho has a high level of specialization in Wool (409), Animal Hair (255), Bedspreads (152), Diamonds (109), and Knit Men's Shirts (78.9). Specialization is measured using RCA, an index that takes the ratio between Lesotho observed and expected exports in each product.

Export Opportunities by Relatedness

The top export opportunities for Lesotho according to the relatedness index, were Packing Bags (0.14), Cassava (0.14), Non-Knit Women's Undergarments (0.14), Knit Women's Undergarments (0.13), and Pepper (0.13). Relatedness measures the distance between a country's current exports and each product. The barchart show only products that Lesotho is not specialized in.

Product Space

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

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.

Relatedness Space (2023)

Diversification Frontier

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Depth

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.

Diversification Frontier

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