flag Yemen Yemen: Trade Profile

Foreign Trade in Figures

Yemen's foreign trade, which once represented more than 80% of GDP, dwindled with the civil war, reaching a mere 49% of GDP in 2018, according to the World Bank, which has stopped releasing data on Yemen's trade since that date. Before the conflict, Yemen's economy heavily relied on exports of crude oil, which accounted for the majority of the country's foreign exchange earnings. However, the conflict has severely impacted Yemen's oil production and exports, leading to a decline in revenue and an increased reliance on imports. According to data by OEC, in 2022, the main exports were crude petroleum (57.3%), scrap iron (6.4%), gold (5.6%), molluscs (3.4%), and non-fillet frozen fish (3.1%); whereas imports comprised chiefly wheat (9.2%), raw iron bars (4.6%), rice (4.1%), raw sugar (2.6%), and concentrated milk (2.4%).

Saudi Arabia was Yemen's top trading partner prior to the civil war, as it received more than 30% of its exports. According to the latest figures available from OEC, in 2022, Yemen’s main customers were China (31.7%), Thailand (20.5%), India (11.9%), United Arab Emirates (6.9%), and Oman (4.8%); with imports coming from China (25.7%), United Arab Emirates (14.0%), Turkey (10.0%), India (9.8%), and Oman (3.8%). Yemen is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA), and it also signed bilateral trade agreements with several countries, including China, India, and Turkey. However, the conflict has limited Yemen's ability to fully benefit from these agreements, as many ports and trade routes have been disrupted.

Yemen has a structurally negative trade balance as it needs to import most of its energy consumption, unlike most other countries in the region. According to data from the WTO, in 2022, Yemen exported USD 903 million worth of goods (+36.4% year-on-year), while imports stood at USD 5.3 billion (+5.1% year-on-year). No data was released concerning trade in commercial services. In October 2022, the UN-brokered truce expired, and despite an informal continuation, the situation deteriorated with a blockade imposed by the Houthi on IRG's oil exports. This prolonged blockade significantly decreased exports throughout 2023.

 
Foreign Trade Indicators 20202021202220232024
Imports of Goods (million USD) 4,6275,0325,4345,0734,552
Exports of Goods (million USD) 404662690249218
Imports of Services (million USD) 1,3901,321n/an/an/a
Exports of Services (million USD) 224264n/an/an/a

Source: WTO – World Trade Organisation ; World Bank - Latest available data.

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Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2024
Saudi Arabia 57.7%
Malaysia 7.1%
Oman 5.4%
United Arab Emirates 5.1%
Egypt 3.7%
See More Countries 20.9%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2024
United Arab Emirates 15.0%
China 13.2%
India 10.5%
Saudi Arabia 9.5%
Brazil 6.4%
See More Countries 45.4%

Source: Comtrade, Latest Available Data

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Main Products

0.6 bn USD of products exported in 2024
Coin, incl. legal tender (excl. medals, jewellery...Coin, incl. legal tender (excl. medals, jewellery made from coins, collectors' items of numismatic value, waste and scrap) 29.0%
Fish, fresh or chilled (excl. fish fillets and...Fish, fresh or chilled (excl. fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304) 12.1%
Frozen fish (excl. fish fillets and other fish...Frozen fish (excl. fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304) 8.4%
Molluscs, fit for human consumption, even smoked,...Molluscs, fit for human consumption, even smoked, whether in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; flours, meals and pellets of molluscs, fit for human consumption 8.3%
Onions, shallots, garlic, leeks and other...Onions, shallots, garlic, leeks and other alliaceous vegetables, fresh or chilled 6.4%
See More Products 35.8%
3.1 bn USD of products imported in 2024
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 12.5%
Wheat and meslinWheat and meslin 10.0%
RiceRice 8.7%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 7.5%
Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed...Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses "incl. those in the form of transdermal administration" or in forms or packings for retail sale (excl. goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) 3.7%
See More Products 57.5%

Source: Comtrade, Latest Available Data

 

To go further, check out our service Import controls and Export controls

To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows

 

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List of tariffs and local taxes that apply to your product on our service Customs Duties

 

Trade Compliance

International Conventions
Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Party to the International Coffee Agreement
International Economic Cooperation
The country is part of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area(GAFTA), a pact of the Arab League entered into force in January 2005 which aims to form an Arabic free trade area.
Useful Resources
Yemen Customs Authority
National Organisation of Intellectual Property
The General Department for Intellectual Property Protection.
 
 
 

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Latest Update: July 2026