Cote d’Ivoire Exporter Guide 2025
In 2024, Côte d’Ivoire’s imports of U.S.-origin food and agricultural products surged to $42 million, a 121 percent increase from the $19 million recorded in 2023. This growth was largely driven by a significant influx of U.S.-origin rice valued at $22.3 million—linked to USDA/FAS food security programming for the Coastal West Africa region—and a record $13.4 million in deliveries of U.S. soybean meal. That same year, Côte d’Ivoire’s total global food and agricultural imports reached $3.6 billion. In early 2025 (January–May), imports continued to rise, totaling $1.8 billion, a 26 percent increase. According to FAS Abidjan and Accra, the country’s food retail sector is expanding due to urbanization and the rise of a middle class. Despite inflation and high living costs, consumer demand for quality products is growing. In 2024, imports of food processing ingredients exceeded $852 million, supporting a food processing industry increasingly reliant on inputs that local producers are unable to supply.