West Africa

The EU has initialled an Economic Partnership Agreement with 16 West African states; the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).

• The text of the agreement
• The West Africa EPA: Current figures and its potential

Until the adoption of the full regional EPA with West Africa, 'stepping stone' Economic Partnership Agreements with Ivory Coast and Ghana entered into provisional application on 3 September 2016 and 15 December 2016 respectively.

• The text of the stepping stone agreements with Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana
• The stepping stone EPA with Ghana
• Updated Ghana Market Access Offer for products originating in the EU
• The stepping stone EPA with Ivory Coast
• Updated Ivory Coast Market Access Offer for products originating in the EU
• Impact Study of the interim EPAs with Ivory Coast and Ghana on regional trade in West Africa
• EU-Ivory Coast Interim EPA - First joint monitoring report
• EU-Ivory Coast Interim EPA - Second joint monitoring report

Trade picture

• West Africa is the EU's largest trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the EU is West Africa's biggest trading partner. Total trade between two regions amounted to €64 billion in 2024.
• The EU is the main export market for West African transformed products (fisheries, agribusiness, textiles, etc.).
• West Africa's exports to the EU consist mainly of fuels and food products, particularly cocoa and cocoa products. West African countries (Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon) provide more than 70% of EU imports of cocoa and cocoa products.
• West Africa's imports from the EU consist of fuels, food products, machinery, and chemicals and pharmaceutical products.
• EU-West Africa trade in services is expanding, covering notably transportation and logistics, travel, and business services.
• West Africa is the second most important investment destination for the EU in Africa, with total EU investment stock worth €52 billion in 2024.
• 29% of the EU’s total trade with the West African region is with Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, both of which are implementing Stepping Stone Economic Partnership Agreements with the EU since 2016.
• The EU’s total trade with Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana increased by 73% since 2016 to reach €19 billion in 2024.

The EU and West Africa

The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with West Africa covers goods and development cooperation. The EPA also includes the possibility to hold further negotiations on sustainable development, services, investment and other trade-related issues in the future.

The EPA will:

• help West Africa to integrate better into the global trading system and will support investment and economic growth in the region;
• increase West African exports to the EU, and;
• stimulate investment and contribute to developing productive capacity, with a positive effect on employment.

Both parties have started to design together a monitoring mechanism for the implementation of the EPA.

All the countries in West Africa are members of the WTO.

More details on the tariff aspects of the EPA

More videos

Committees and Dialogues

The EU and West Africa meet regularly to discuss issues and best practices and oversee the proper functioning of the agreement.

• Meetings and documents

Trading with West Africa

• Importing into the EU from West Africa
  • EU trade defence measures on imports from West Africa
• Exporting from the EU to West Africa
  • Trade defence measures in force in West Africa
• Trade relations are part of the EU's overall political and economic relations with Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Mauritania
• Aid for trade:
  • the EU provides aid through development cooperation (see The EU-West Africa trade and development: a partnership that counts).
  • The EU also provides specific aid for trade in West Africa.
• Trade relations with West Africa are part of the EU's overall political and economic relations with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
• EU-Côte d’Ivoire Economic Partnership Agreement: Creating opportunities for EU and African businesses (factsheet)
• EU-Ghana Economic Partnership Agreement: Creating opportunities for EU and African businesses (factsheet)
• See how the interim Economic Partnership Agreement is benefitting exporters in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana