What the United States ships to Malawi
U.S. goods exports to Malawi totaled $24.2 million in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, down 9.9% on 2024.
By U.S. goods exports, Malawi ranks 44th of 53 in Africa on our list, between Mali ($34 million) and Niger ($20.6 million).
The largest increases from 2024 to 2025 were in miscellaneous domestic exports and special transactions (up $2.6 million), pharmaceutical preparations (up $1.3 million) and medicinal Equipment (up $852,339).
In 2025, monthly U.S. exports to Malawi peaked in April at $3.4 million and were lowest in February at $521,084. July to December accounted for 50.9% of the year's exports. The fourth quarter (October to December) was the busiest, with $7.5 million.
Show the numbers
| Month | U.S. exports | Share of the year |
|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | $2.648 million | 10.9% |
| February 2025 | $521,084 | 2.2% |
| March 2025 | $1.624 million | 6.7% |
| April 2025 | $3.352 million | 13.8% |
| May 2025 | $947,134 | 3.9% |
| June 2025 | $2.797 million | 11.5% |
| July 2025 | $701,072 | 2.9% |
| August 2025 | $875,573 | 3.6% |
| September 2025 | $3.228 million | 13.3% |
| October 2025 | $1.104 million | 4.6% |
| November 2025 | $3.279 million | 13.5% |
| December 2025 | $3.148 million | 13% |
From 2016 to 2025, U.S. exports to Malawi fell from $46.6 million to $24.2 million, and U.S. imports went from $74.4 million to $48.6 million. The biggest one-year rise in exports came in 2021, up $10.1 million (77%). The 10-year average was $25.7 million a year.
Show the numbers
| Year | U.S. exports | Change | U.S. imports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $24.22 million | -9.9% | $48.62 million |
| 2024 | $26.9 million | +48.7% | $39.74 million |
| 2023 | $18.09 million | -50.4% | $44.61 million |
| 2022 | $36.47 million | +56.4% | $54.01 million |
| 2021 | $23.32 million | +77% | $48.03 million |
| 2020 | $13.17 million | -42.2% | $43.25 million |
| 2019 | $22.81 million | +32.3% | $79.47 million |
| 2018 | $17.24 million | -38.2% | $57.48 million |
| 2017 | $27.88 million | -40.2% | $61.89 million |
| 2016 | $46.61 million | n/a | $74.4 million |
Minimum value shipments, miscellaneous domestic exports and special transactions and medicinal Equipment were the three largest, at 37.8% of the total. Six of the 20 categories shrank from 2024, led by telecommunications equipment.
| Category | 2025 | Share | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum value shipments | $3.644 million | 15% | $4.048 million | -10% |
| Miscellaneous domestic exports and special transactions | $3.233 million | 13.3% | $592,681 | +445.6% |
| Medicinal Equipment | $2.281 million | 9.4% | $1.429 million | +59.7% |
| Pharmaceutical preparations | $2.105 million | 8.7% | $804,044 | +161.8% |
| Telecommunications equipment | $1.864 million | 7.7% | $8.347 million | -77.7% |
| Industrial machines, other | $1.818 million | 7.5% | $1.457 million | +24.7% |
| Chemicals-other | $1.059 million | 4.4% | $1.186 million | -10.7% |
| Vegetables | $1.025 million | 4.2% | n/a | n/a |
| Food, tobacco machinery | $903,709 | 3.7% | $847,493 | +6.6% |
| Laboratory testing instruments | $875,098 | 3.6% | $223,301 | +291.9% |
Show all 20 rows
| Category | 2025 | Share | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic materials | $726,886 | 3% | $324,390 | +124.1% |
| Semiconductors | $684,756 | 2.8% | $51,332 | +1234% |
| Measuring, testing, control instruments | $585,786 | 2.4% | $125,532 | +366.6% |
| Other parts and accessories of vehicles | $582,744 | 2.4% | $324,500 | +79.6% |
| Computers | $334,445 | 1.4% | $1.086 million | -69.2% |
| Apparel, household goods - textile | $283,772 | 1.2% | $86,217 | +229.1% |
| Agricultural machinery, equipment | $232,719 | 1% | $98,084 | +137.3% |
| Other foods | $219,142 | 0.9% | $866,670 | -74.7% |
| Oilseeds, food oils | $215,042 | 0.9% | $208,926 | +2.9% |
| Computer accessories | $205,935 | 0.9% | $420,693 | -51% |
The United States imported $48.6 million of goods from Malawi in 2025, led by tobacco, waxes, etc., nuts and tea, spices, etc. (89.6% together). Imports of tobacco, waxes, etc. were up 79.3% on 2024.
| Category | 2025 | Share | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tobacco, waxes, etc. | $28.72 million | 59.1% | $16.02 million | +79.3% |
| Nuts | $7.845 million | 16.1% | $4.847 million | +61.9% |
| Tea, spices, etc. | $7.012 million | 14.4% | $9.47 million | -26% |
| Cane and beet sugar | $3.385 million | 7% | $8.213 million | -58.8% |
| Footwear | $504,678 | 1% | n/a | n/a |
| Green coffee | $317,141 | 0.7% | $534,829 | -40.7% |
| Furniture, household goods, etc. | $118,155 | 0.2% | $153,989 | -23.3% |
| Other parts and accessories of vehicles | $113,753 | 0.2% | $58,850 | +93.3% |
| Camping apparel and gear | $112,881 | 0.2% | n/a | n/a |
| Nickel | $111,045 | 0.2% | n/a | n/a |
Show all 20 rows
| Category | 2025 | Share | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem stones, other | $72,377 | 0.1% | $5,687 | +1172.7% |
| Minimum value shipments | $64,936 | 0.1% | $52,689 | +23.2% |
| Food oils, oilseeds | $63,875 | 0.1% | $132,608 | -51.8% |
| U.S. goods returned, and reimports | $38,927 | 0.1% | $12,434 | +213.1% |
| Vegetables | $29,652 | 0.1% | $54,383 | -45.5% |
| Apparel, textiles, nonwool or cotton | $20,680 | 0% | $2,879 | +618.3% |
| Stone, sand, cement, etc. | $17,718 | 0% | n/a | n/a |
| Semiconductors | $15,724 | 0% | $3,773 | +316.8% |
| Chemicals-organic | $10,000 | 0% | n/a | n/a |
| Cookware, cutlery, tools | $9,822 | 0% | n/a | n/a |
