Namibia recorded a trade deficit of N$393 million in December 2025 after imports valued at N$11.1 billion exceeded exports of N$10.7 billion, according to data released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA).
Despite the monthly deficit, the NSA said export performance improved on a cumulative basis. Year-to-date exports reached N$125.7 billion by December 2025, up from N$116.8 billion during the same period in 2024, reflecting stronger export earnings over the course of the year.
On a month-on-month basis, exports increased by 7.5% compared with November 2025, supported by higher shipment values towards year-end. However, exports were 13.9% lower than in December 2024, indicating weaker performance compared with the corresponding period last year.
Import values declined by 22.9% compared with November 2025 and by 8.6% relative to December 2024.
South Africa remained Namibia’s largest export destination, accounting for 25.5% of total exports, followed by China with a 19.9% share. Botswana, Zambia and the Netherlands rounded out the top five export markets, the NSA said.
South Africa also retained its position as Namibia’s main source of imports, supplying 38.3% of total imports. China followed with an 11.5% share, while Zambia, India and Oman were also among the top five import origins.
An analysis of exports by commodity showed that non-monetary gold remained the largest export item, accounting for 18.0% of total exports. Precious stones, mainly diamonds, followed closely at 17.5%. Uranium, fish, and fruit and nuts also featured among the top five exported products.
On the import side, petroleum oils were the largest imported commodity during December, accounting for 13.7% of total imports. Motor vehicles for commercial purposes ranked second with a 7.2% share. Nickel ores and concentrates, civil engineering and contractors’ equipment, and motor vehicles for the transportation of persons completed the top five import categories.
By economic bloc, the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) emerged as Namibia’s largest export market in December, contributing 40.6% of total exports. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) market followed with a 24.7% share, while the European Union accounted for 19.5%. BRIC+ countries contributed 14.2%, while SADC countries excluding SACU accounted for 12.4%.
On the import side, SACU remained the largest source, contributing 38.8% of Namibia’s total import bill. BRIC+ and OECD markets followed with shares of 19.3% and 18.4%, respectively. The EU accounted for 10.3% of imports, while SADC countries excluding SACU contributed 8.5%.
In terms of transport modes, sea transport accounted for the largest share of export value at 37.6%, followed by air transport at 36.3% and road transport at 26.1%.
For imports, road transport dominated, accounting for 61.4% of total import value, followed by sea transport at 34.3% and air transport at 4.4%.
The NSA said corrugated iron was selected as the commodity of the month. During December 2025, Namibia imported corrugated iron valued at N$6 million, mainly from South Africa and China. Exports of corrugated iron during the same period were valued at N$251,100.
