Countries

Malawi: trade by HS code

  • US$1bnExports 2024
  • US$3.2bnImports 2024
  • 1,693HS6 · Exports

Malawi exported goods worth US$1bn and imported US$3.2bn in 2024, in 1,693 and 4,195 different six-digit products.

Its main exports were stemmed/stripped tobacco leaf (2401.20), dried pigeon peas (0713.60) and black tea (bulk, over 3 kg) (0902.40).

Its largest customer was Belgium and its largest supplier China.

In the 12 months to August 2026, the UK imported goods worth £16.6m from Malawi (-4% on the year before), above all black tea (bulk, over 3 kg), mangoes, guavas and mangosteens and other essential oils (non-citrus), and exported £14.4m to it.

Under DCTS Comprehensive, 98% of the UK tariff lines are duty-free for goods from Malawi that meet the rules of origin.

Malawi and the UK

UK imports£16.6m-4% · last 12 months
UK exports£14.4m-11% · last 12 months
Duty-free access to the UK98%share of tariff lines at 0% under a preference

Agreement or scheme: DCTS Comprehensive

What the UK imports from Malawi

  1. 0902.40Black tea (bulk, over 3 kg)£14.1m
  2. 0804.50Mangoes, guavas and mangosteens£1.6m
  3. 3301.29Other essential oils (non-citrus)£338k
  4. 0904.21Dried capsicum and pimenta (whole)£188.6k
  5. 0802.62Other nuts, fresh or dried, whether or not shelled or peeled: macadamia nuts, shelled£64.1k
  6. 2401.20Stemmed/stripped tobacco leaf£54.7k
  7. 0902.20Other green tea (not fermented)£39.9k
  8. 0901.11Green coffee (not decaffeinated)£22.2k
  9. 8473.30Computer parts and accessories£18.1k
  10. 8536.49Relays over 60 V£14.6k

Data up to August 2026 (provisional) · HMRC

Malawi and the EU

EU imports€297.4m-16% · last 12 months
EU exports€117.2m-26% · last 12 months
Duty-free access to the EU97%share of tariff lines at 0% under a preference

Agreement or scheme: GSP-EBA (Special arrangement for the least-developed countries - Everything But Arms)

What the EU imports from Malawi

  1. 2401.20Stemmed/stripped tobacco leaf€263.1m
  2. 2401.30Unmanufactured tobacco; tobacco refuse: tobacco refuse€8.8m
  3. 0802.62Other nuts, fresh or dried, whether or not shelled or peeled: macadamia nuts, shelled€6.2m
  4. 2401.10Tobacco leaf, not stemmed€6m
  5. 0902.40Black tea (bulk, over 3 kg)€5.3m
  6. 0804.50Mangoes, guavas and mangosteens€1.6m
  7. 0904.21Dried capsicum and pimenta (whole)€941.5k
  8. 0904.22Ground chilli and paprika€909.4k
  9. 8471.50Computer processing units (desktop CPUs, servers)€801.3k
  10. 3002.90Other blood products, toxins etc.€653.6k

Data up to August 2026 (provisional) · Eurostat Comext

Top exports

  1. 2401.20Stemmed/stripped tobacco leafUS$534.8m
  2. 0713.60Dried pigeon peasUS$74.3m
  3. 0902.40Black tea (bulk, over 3 kg)US$73m
  4. 2304.00Soybean mealUS$34.7m
  5. 2401.10Tobacco leaf, not stemmedUS$30.6m
  6. 1202.42Shelled groundnuts (peanuts)US$21.5m
  7. 0207.14Frozen chicken cuts and offalUS$13.2m
  8. 0802.62Other nuts, fresh or dried, whether or not shelled or peeled: macadamia nuts, shelledUS$12.2m
  9. 2401.30Unmanufactured tobacco; tobacco refuse: tobacco refuseUS$12.1m
  10. 1701.14Raw cane sugar (other)US$11.7m
  11. 0713.10Dried peasUS$11.4m
  12. 8705.10Crane lorries (truck cranes)US$9.6m
  13. 0713.90Dried leguminous vegetables, shelled, whether: otherUS$8.4m
  14. 1201.90Soybeans (not for sowing)US$7.4m
  15. 1207.40Sesame seedsUS$6.6m
  16. 4411.14MDF over 9 mmUS$6.1m
  17. 0802.61Other nuts, fresh or dried, whether or not shelled or peeled: macadamia nuts, in shellUS$4.8m
  18. 4001.29Other natural rubber formsUS$4.4m
  19. 7204.30Waste and scrap of tinned iron or steelUS$4.2m
  20. 0901.11Green coffee (not decaffeinated)US$4.2m

Top imports

  1. 3102.10UreaUS$104.1m
  2. 3004.90Other medicines, dosed or for retail saleUS$94.6m
  3. 3105.20NPK fertilisersUS$77m
  4. 6309.00Worn clothing (second-hand)US$75.7m
  5. 1511.90Refined palm oil and fractionsUS$47.6m
  6. 6304.20Bed nets specified in subheading note 1 to this chapterUS$47.1m
  7. 8703.23Petrol cars, 1500-3000 ccUS$43.9m
  8. 2401.10Tobacco leaf, not stemmedUS$41.4m
  9. 4907.00Unused postage and revenue stampsUS$40.7m
  10. 7210.49Galvanised steel sheet and coilUS$40.7m
  11. 3401.20Soap in other forms (liquid, flakes)US$39.6m
  12. 8704.21Diesel trucks, GVW up to 5 tUS$36.4m
  13. 3002.41Vaccines for human medicineUS$31.4m
  14. 3402.50Retail washing and cleaning preparationsUS$27.2m
  15. 1001.19Durum wheat (not seed)US$27m
  16. 3822.19Other diagnostic and laboratory reagentsUS$26.9m
  17. 1005.90Maize (corn), not for sowingUS$24.6m
  18. 2401.20Stemmed/stripped tobacco leafUS$23.1m
  19. 8517.62Network switching and routing equipmentUS$23m
  20. 8479.89Other machines with individual functionsUS$22.6m

Main buyers from Malawi

  1. Belgium US$121m
  2. India US$79.3m
  3. South Africa US$52.8m
  4. Türkiye US$51.3m
  5. Germany US$50.3m
  6. Egypt US$47.2m
  7. Zimbabwe US$41.6m
  8. United States US$37.7m
  9. Poland US$35.4m
  10. United Kingdom US$33.9m

Main suppliers of Malawi

  1. China US$327.2m
  2. South Africa US$297.2m
  3. India US$162.4m
  4. United Arab Emirates US$143.4m
  5. Zambia US$115.4m
  6. Tanzania US$89.2m
  7. Japan US$74m
  8. Malaysia US$72.5m
  9. Netherlands US$45.9m
  10. Russia US$41.6m

Questions and answers

What does Malawi export most?

In 2024, its largest export at the six-digit level was stemmed/stripped tobacco leaf (HS 2401.20), worth US$534.8m.

Does the UK have a trade agreement with Malawi?

Yes: goods from Malawi can enter at preferential rates under DCTS Comprehensive, duty-free on 98% of tariff lines, provided they meet the rules of origin and come with proof of origin.