Bissau, May 27, 2025 (Lusa) - Senegal accounts for 48% of Guinea-Bissau's total imports within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), the Guinean Director-General of Foreign Trade, Lassana Fati, told Lusa on Tuesday.

The Guinean official spoke to Lusa during the 48-hour state visit that Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye ended today in Guinea-Bissau at the invitation of his counterpart, Umaro Sissoco Embaló.

According to the Director-General of Foreign Trade, Senegal is a strategic country for Guinea-Bissau because it supplies the Guinean market with 48% of consumer products, including fruit and vegetables, especially onions, of which Senegal is one of the main producers.

Senegal is a major onion producer on our coast. Guinea-Bissau imports almost 80% of the onions it consumes from Senegal, said the Guinean Director-General of Foreign Trade.

The country also imports pasteurised milk and cattle from Senegal, he said.

He also noted that a large quantity of basic foodstuffs not produced in Senegal, such as rice, oil and flour, reach the Guinean market via the Senegalese port of Dakar.

The Guinean Director-General of Foreign Trade stated that Senegal serves as a transit zone for products due to its port infrastructure, which importers utilise.

Lassana Fati said that Guinea-Bissau mainly exports sweet potatoes, cassava, wild products and dried fish to Senegal, but that this is done "clandestinely". He said it was difficult to quantify the value of Guinean exports to Senegal.

"Senegal is currently Guinea-Bissau's largest trading partner because, in the WAEMU zone, Senegal accounts for 48% of Guinea-Bissau's imports. This is a very strong factor after Portugal, which is also a major partner of Guinea-Bissau," he added.

The Guinean Director-General of Foreign Trade does not doubt that Senegal is a "strategic partner" in terms of trade with Guinea-Bissau, given the figures involved.

Lassana Fati noted that any "negative scenario" in Senegal has a direct impact on the Guinean market, which is immediately reflected in product shortages in the local market.

Regarding the Senegalese President's visit to Bissau, Fati said he hoped for "good results," namely "the realisation of the idea" of signing a tripartite agreement between Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia and Senegal for the joint import of necessities on the international market.

The same agreement, which Guinean diplomats hope will be signed later this year, will also allow for the elimination of non-tariff barriers at the borders between the three countries.

MB/ADB // ADB.

Lusa