The Rational ModerateSearch

Trade by country

Sierra Leone

In 2025, US goods exports to Sierra Leone were $117.6 million and goods imports from Sierra Leone were $50.3 million; exports exceeded imports by $67.3 million.

Goods: the latest figures

2025, full year

Exports
$117.6 million
Imports
$50.3 million
Balance
exports exceeded imports by $67.3 million (a goods trade surplus, in Census's term)
Total goods trade
$167.9 million
Share of US goods trade
0.003%
Rank among partners
No. 159 of 231

Latest 12 months, August 2025 to July 2026

Exports
$120.9 million
Imports
$28.1 million
Balance
exports exceeded imports by $92.8 million (a goods trade surplus, in Census's term)
Total goods trade
$149.0 million
Share of US goods trade
0.003%
Rank among partners
No. 165 of 233

2025 rank among 231 partners with trade that year; 12-month rank among 233.

  • Census basis goods, not seasonally adjusted. Exports are free alongside ship value; imports are general imports (customs value), everything that arrives, including goods entering bonded warehouses and Foreign Trade Zones. Shares and ranks compare total goods trade (exports plus imports) with the same period's world total.
  • US exports include re-exports: foreign goods shipped on in substantially the same condition as when they were imported. Exports are credited to the destination as known to the shipper and imports to the country of origin. The workbook used here does not separate re-exports.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Trade in Goods by Country. Monthly data through July 2026; 2025 is the latest full year. Census revises the prior year's country totals each June. Retrieved Sept. 26, 2026.

Goods since 1992

US goods exports to and imports from Sierra Leone, 1992 to 2025

Full years only, in current dollars (not adjusted for inflation).

$0$50M$100M202020212022202320242025

$0$50M$100M20162018202020222024

$0$50M$100M200020102020

Data table
YearExportsImportsBalanceTotalShare of US goods tradeRank
2026 (7 months)$62.4M$9.9MExports exceeded imports by $52.4M$72.3M0.002%166
2025$117.6M$50.3MExports exceeded imports by $67.3M$167.9M0.003%159
2024$116.1M$28.7MExports exceeded imports by $87.3M$144.8M0.003%163
2023$103.9M$22MExports exceeded imports by $81.9M$125.9M0.002%165
2022$106M$17.6MExports exceeded imports by $88.3M$123.6M0.002%171
2021$114.6M$16.8MExports exceeded imports by $97.8M$131.4M0.003%166
2020$73.8M$32MExports exceeded imports by $41.8M$105.8M0.003%164
2019$78.2M$30MExports exceeded imports by $48.3M$108.2M0.003%165
2018$71.4M$60.7MExports exceeded imports by $10.7M$132.1M0.003%161
2017$79.2M$30.1MExports exceeded imports by $49M$109.3M0.003%168
2016$63.2M$30.1MExports exceeded imports by $33.1M$93.3M0.003%169
2015$77.3M$39.7MExports exceeded imports by $37.7M$117M0.003%160
2014$87.9M$28.9MExports exceeded imports by $59.1M$116.8M0.003%166
2013$82.4M$41.6MExports exceeded imports by $40.9M$124M0.003%162
2012$100.7M$17.8MExports exceeded imports by $82.9M$118.6M0.003%164
2011$102.8M$26.6MExports exceeded imports by $76.2M$129.3M0.004%162
2010$61.1M$29MExports exceeded imports by $32M$90.1M0.003%160
2009$42.5M$24.3MExports exceeded imports by $18.2M$66.9M0.003%166
2008$59.4M$47.7MExports exceeded imports by $11.6M$107.1M0.003%164
2007$55.4M$48.2MExports exceeded imports by $7.3M$103.6M0.003%160
2006$39.2M$36.1MExports exceeded imports by $3.1M$75.4M0.003%163
2005$37.8M$9.3MExports exceeded imports by $28.5M$47.1M0.002%173
2004$40.6M$10.9MExports exceeded imports by $29.8M$51.5M0.002%165
2003$28.2M$6.5MExports exceeded imports by $21.7M$34.8M0.002%169
2002$25.1M$3.8MExports exceeded imports by $21.3M$28.9M0.002%173
2001$27.8M$4.4MExports exceeded imports by $23.4M$32.2M0.002%170
2000$18.8M$3.8MExports exceeded imports by $15M$22.6M0.001%173
1999$13.2M$10.2MExports exceeded imports by $3M$23.4M0.001%177
1998$23.3M$12.4MExports exceeded imports by $10.9M$35.7M0.002%161
1997$15.6M$18.4MImports exceeded exports by $2.8M$34M0.002%166
1996$28.4M$22.5MExports exceeded imports by $5.9M$50.9M0.004%152
1995$18.1M$28.4MImports exceeded exports by $10.3M$46.5M0.004%148
1994$24.1M$51.3MImports exceeded exports by $27.2M$75.4M0.006%130
1993$22.2M$47.3MImports exceeded exports by $25.1M$69.5M0.007%133
1992$28.1M$60.8MImports exceeded exports by $32.7M$88.9M0.009%119

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Trade in Goods by Country. Census Trade in Goods by Country, country.xlsx (columns IYR, EYR) · retrieved Sept. 26, 2026 · 9,217 rows · as of July 2026 · monthly. Download CSV

2026 so far (7 months): exports $62.4 million, imports $9.9 million; exports exceeded imports by $52.4 million. Not in the chart, because a part year is not comparable with a full one.

Ranks start in 1992; before then the Census workbook covers only 76 partners. Shares start in 1987, the first year with a world total.

Goods by month

US goods exports to and imports from Sierra Leone, by month

The latest 24 months. Not seasonally adjusted, so compare a month with the same month a year earlier.

$0$5M$10M$15MJan. 2025July 2025Jan. 2026July 2026

Data table
MonthExportsImportsBalance
Aug. 2024$7.6M$13MImports exceeded exports by $5.4M
Sept. 2024$10.1M$2MExports exceeded imports by $8.1M
Oct. 2024$10.3M$2.1MExports exceeded imports by $8.2M
Nov. 2024$13.4M$2.6MExports exceeded imports by $10.8M
Dec. 2024$10.2M$840KExports exceeded imports by $9.4M
Jan. 2025$6.3M$12.9MImports exceeded exports by $6.6M
Feb. 2025$12.3M$897KExports exceeded imports by $11.4M
March 2025$10.7M$740KExports exceeded imports by $10M
April 2025$9.3M$1.2MExports exceeded imports by $8.1M
May 2025$6.6M$14.7MImports exceeded exports by $8.1M
June 2025$6.6M$772KExports exceeded imports by $5.8M
July 2025$7.4M$1.1MExports exceeded imports by $6.3M
Aug. 2025$8M$846KExports exceeded imports by $7.1M
Sept. 2025$14.9M$1.1MExports exceeded imports by $13.9M
Oct. 2025$14.7M$14.6MExports exceeded imports by $77K
Nov. 2025$12.9M$705KExports exceeded imports by $12.2M
Dec. 2025$8M$950KExports exceeded imports by $7.1M
Jan. 2026$7.1M$511KExports exceeded imports by $6.6M
Feb. 2026$7.5M$2.7MExports exceeded imports by $4.8M
March 2026$12.3M$1.4MExports exceeded imports by $10.9M
April 2026$7.8M$1.6MExports exceeded imports by $6.2M
May 2026$8.7M$1.4MExports exceeded imports by $7.4M
June 2026$9.6M$940KExports exceeded imports by $8.6M
July 2026$9.3M$1.3MExports exceeded imports by $8M

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Trade in Goods by Country. Census Trade in Goods by Country, country.xlsx (columns IJAN..IDEC, EJAN..EDEC) · retrieved Sept. 26, 2026 · 5,923 rows · as of July 2026 · monthly. Download CSV

US goods trade with Sierra Leone, August 2025 to July 2026: each month beside the same month a year earlier
MonthExportsA year earlierChangeImportsA year earlierChange
July 2026$9.3M$7.4M+26.1%$1.3M$1.1M+22.7%
June 2026$9.6M$6.6M+45.8%$940K$772K+21.7%
May 2026$8.7M$6.6M+33.3%$1.4M$14.7M-90.6%
April 2026$7.8M$9.3M-16.1%$1.6M$1.2M+40.2%
March 2026$12.3M$10.7M+15.1%$1.4M$740K+93.0%
Feb. 2026$7.5M$12.3M-38.8%$2.7M$897K+204.4%
Jan. 2026$7.1M$6.3M+12.8%$511K$12.9M-96.0%
Dec. 2025$8M$10.2M-21.1%$950K$840K+13.1%
Nov. 2025$12.9M$13.4M-3.9%$705K$2.6M-73.2%
Oct. 2025$14.7M$10.3M+42.7%$14.6M$2.1M+595.9%
Sept. 2025$14.9M$10.1M+47.4%$1.1M$2M-47.2%
Aug. 2025$8M$7.6M+5.4%$846K$13M-93.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Trade in Goods by Country. Monthly, August 2024 to July 2026; not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved Sept. 26, 2026.

Services

Services are counted separately from goods, by a different agency, on an annual timetable. They are not added to the goods figures above.

US trade in services with Sierra Leone, 2018 to 2025
YearExportsImportsBalance (exports minus imports)
2025$65M$45MExports exceeded imports by $20M
2024$73M$70MExports exceeded imports by $3M
2023$67M$98MImports exceeded exports by $31M
2022$48M$89MImports exceeded exports by $40M
2021$36M$50MImports exceeded exports by $14M
2020$25M$19MExports exceeded imports by $6M
2019$35M$35M(*)
2018$35M$35M(*)
  • (*) Transactions between zero and +/- $500,000.

The balance column is BEA's published balance, which BEA rounds on its own, so it can differ by a million dollars from the exports and imports shown beside it. The 2025 balance is a services trade surplus, in BEA's term.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, International Services, Table 2.4. Annual, 2018 to 2025, released July 7, 2026; cells exactly as BEA publishes them, marks included. Retrieved Sept. 26, 2026. Download CSV

Direct investment

The value of direct investment at year end, both ways: US companies' stake in businesses in Sierra Leone, and investors in Sierra Leone with a stake in US businesses. Historical cost (book value), not market value.

Direct investment positions, 2020 to 2025
Year endUS direct investment in Sierra LeoneDirect investment from Sierra Leone in the US
2025$1M(*)
2024$1M(*)
2023$1M(*)
2022$1M(*)
2021$1M(*)
2020$1M(*)
  • (*) A nonzero value that rounds to zero.

BEA assigns each position to the immediate counterpart country, which may not be where the money ends up or where the ultimate owner is. That is why financial centers such as the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Caribbean islands rank high.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Direct Investment by Country and Industry. Positions at year end, 2020 to 2025; inward by country of foreign parent; cells exactly as BEA publishes them. Retrieved Sept. 26, 2026. Download CSV

Trade agreements

USTR lists no trade agreement with Sierra Leone.

From USTR's list of free trade agreements in force and its page of agreements on reciprocal trade, in USTR's own wording. USTR's reciprocal trade page does not say whether each agreement is in force, so none is described that way here.

Source: Office of the United States Trade Representative, Free Trade Agreements and Agreements on Reciprocal Trade. Checked Sept. 26, 2026. Retrieved Sept. 26, 2026.

Context

Population, 2025
8.8 million
GDP, current US dollars, 2025
$7.5 billion

Source: The World Bank: World Development Indicators: Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL), UN Population Division and national statistical offices. The World Bank: World Development Indicators: GDP (current US$) (NY.GDP.MKTP.CD), country official statistics, OECD national accounts data files and World Bank staff estimates. License: CC BY 4.0. Most recent value per economy. Retrieved Sept. 26, 2026.

Top products and tariffs

Not shown yet: requires Census data not yet retrieved.