Burkina Faso's goods trade surplus rose to 1,205.8bn FCFA (€1.84bn) in the second quarter of 2026 from 496.8bn FCFA (€757mn) a year earlier, statistics agency INSD said in a quarterly trade report posted in late October. Gold export receipts climbed 61.4% to 2,182.6bn FCFA (€3.33bn), or 93.5% of all exports, while the tonnage of goods exported fell 40.8%, the agency said.
Analysis: Higher gold prices played a larger role than volumes. INSD's export price index for gold rose 33.6% year-on-year, against a 20.8% gain in its volume index, while shipments to the UAE and Switzerland fell about 3% from the first quarter, by our calculation. The trade surplus is therefore sensitive to changes in international gold prices. Lower prices could reduce export earnings and foreign-currency inflows even if shipment volumes held steady. The next INSD trade report may be published around December, based on last year's schedule.
Source: INSD, https://www.insd.bf/sites/default/files/2026-10/SCE_2T2026.pdf, Q2 2026 and Q2 2025 and Q1 2026; INSD, INSD, Note trimestrielle sur les statistiques du commerce extérieur, quatrième trimestre 2025 (cover dated March 2026), Q2 2025; INSD, INSD, Note trimestrielle sur les statistiques du commerce extérieur, 1er trimestre 2026 (cover dated June 2026, posted September 2026), Q1 2026