Windhoek:Namibia's import bill surged in September, driven by high expenditures on petroleum oils, sugar, and vehicles, leading to a trade deficit of N$4.7 billion. The data, released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), highlights significant import activity in the country's economy.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the NSA's recent International Merchandise Trade Statistics Bulletin reported that imports in September totaled N$16.9 billion, marking an increase of 2.1% from August and a substantial 55.5% rise from September 2025. In contrast, exports declined by 3.4% to N$12.2 billion during the same period.
Petroleum oils topped the import list, accounting for 12.8% of the total import bill, with Oman, Sweden, and Malta being the primary suppliers. The import of motor vehicles was also notable, with goods transport vehicles costing N$474 million and personal vehicles N$336 million, totaling N$810 million. Food imports were led by sugar and sugar confectionery, which comprised 17.4% of the total, followed by cereals and miscellaneous edible preparations.
Beverage imports amounted to N$387 million, while exports in the same category were N$80 million. Noordoewer played a significant role by handling N$114 million of the alcoholic beverage imports. Despite the import-heavy landscape, Namibia reported a food trade surplus of N$428 million, with fish and meat exports contributing N$1.2 billion and N$304 million, respectively.
Uranium exports were significant, bringing in N$3.4 billion, entirely from sales to China, while non-monetary gold exports to South Africa added N$1.4 billion. However, there was a notable decrease in diamond exports, which fell by N$822 million.
The bulletin also noted a rise in imports of sulphur and unroasted iron pyrites by N$734 million to N$1.6 billion, and ships and boats imports increased by N$470 million. South Africa, China, and other countries played crucial roles in Namibia's trade, with South Africa supplying 30.7% of imports and China purchasing 36.2% of exports.
The report further detailed that N$9.0 billion worth of imports were transported by road, accounting for 53.4% of the total, with major entry points being Walvis Bay, Ariamsvlei, and Trans-Kalahari.
The September trade deficit is an increase from the N$3.9 billion recorded in August and N$3.5 billion in September 2025, with an average deficit of N$3.6 billion over the past 13 months. By the end of September, imports for the year stood at N$138.8 billion, compared to N$109.2 billion the previous year, while exports were N$103.5 billion, surpassing 2025 figures by N$11.7 billion.
The NSA emphasized that the growing deficit underscores Namibia's reliance on imported goods to satisfy domestic needs.