China: the indispensable trade partner

In 2025, Chad imported goods worth 306.5 billion CFA francs from China, accounting for 30.7% of total imports—a figure rivaling no other supplier. The next largest, Cameroon, delivered only 108.4 billion CFA francs, barely a third of China’s volume, while Libya ranked third with 85.8 billion CFA francs (8.6%).

The nature of China’s exports to Chad underscores the depth of this dependency: machinery, industrial equipment, and everyday consumer goods dominate the flow. This mirrors the long-standing North-South trade pattern, where African nations absorb Asian industrial output in exchange for raw materials—a model that has defined China’s African strategy over the past twenty years.

The UAE: a re-export gateway

On the export side, the United Arab Emirates takes center stage, purchasing 333.3 billion CFA francs of Chadian goods—equivalent to 26.2% of total exports. It outpaces Malaysia (297.8 billion, 23.4%) and Germany (279.9 billion, 22%).

Rather than being a final consumer, the UAE functions as a critical trade intermediary. Dubai and Abu Dhabi serve as global redistribution hubs where Chadian crude oil often passes through, undergoes partial refining, or gets blended before being shipped onward to other markets. While profitable for the Emirates, this arrangement leaves Chad largely unaware of the ultimate destinations of its own resources.

• 30.7% of imports – originating from China, a regional high
• 26.2% of exports – directed to the UAE
• 79.8% of imports – concentrated among the top ten suppliers

France and the US: declining traditional partners

Despite historical ties, France contributes only 5.1% of Chad’s imports (50.9 billion CFA francs), ranking sixth. The United States holds the fifth position with 53.0 billion CFA francs (5.3%). These numbers highlight a gradual shift in Chad’s trade partnerships toward Asia, the Middle East, and emerging economies, reducing reliance on Western powers.

Other key suppliers include India (4.3%), Togo (3.6%), Brazil (2.9%), and Turkey (2.3%), illustrating Chad’s effort to diversify import sources while maintaining a heavy dependence on Chinese volume.

Rethinking trade dependencies

The stark contrast in Chad’s trade dynamics reveals a clear strategic lesson: the country sells to a narrow group of concentrated buyers (the top ten account for 98.9% of exports) while sourcing from a slightly broader, yet still China-dominated, pool of suppliers. This dual concentration leaves Chad vulnerable to external shocks—a risk that could be mitigated through a deliberate strategy to diversify both export markets and import channels.