The 2021 UEMOA foreign trade report was published by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO). It shows that gold exports have continued their upward trend, which began in 2013.

Gold exports now amount to 6.331.8 billion FCFA francs in 2021, an increase of 7.3% compared to 2020. The BCEAO believes that this trend is mainly due to the increase in shipments, due to the dynamism of gold activities in Burkina, Côte d'Ivoire and Mali, moderated, however, by the fall in international prices (-2.4%) for this product.

In reality, gold was almost the only commodity to increase in 2020 because of its role as a safe haven in the context of the Covid-19 crisis. Indeed, UEMOA's foreign gold sales went mainly to India (4.4%), South Africa (19.8%), and Switzerland (63.6%). Gold therefore plays an important role in Union exports with a share of 30.9% in 2021, after 32.2% in 2020, “notes the BCEAO.