MENA Trade Is Expanding

MENA’s Trade Growth Is Now Being Driven by Imports

MENA’s Trade Growth Is Now Being Driven by Imports, Not Exports

MENA Trade Is Expanding, But Its Export Base Remains Energy-Heavy

The region’s import mix is increasingly manufacturing-led, while its export structure remains concentrated in energy and resources.

Trade in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA), a region of 19 countries stretching from Morocco to Oman, has expanded strongly since 2020, with 2025 exports totalling USD 1.55 trillion and imports USD 1.63 trillion. However, the region still buys and sells very different things.

Exports remain anchored in minerals & fuels, which accounted for around half of the 2025 total and also explain much of the exceptional 2022 peak. The export mix is evolving, however, with metals the standout growth category, rising at a 15.8% annual rate since 2020, well ahead of machinery, light manufacturing and industrial chemicals.

The import side tells a more manufacturing-led story. Machinery & electronics is the largest import category at USD 408 billion, while automotive & transport has grown fastest, at 16.7% annually since 2020. Metals imports have also expanded strongly.

MENA remains a major resource exporter, but its growing demand for machinery, vehicles and other manufactured goods points to a large and expanding market for global industrial suppliers.

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