Namibia experienced a decline in the export of goods last month, while imports continued to rise.
This was revealed by the Statistician General and CEO of the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) Alex Shimuafeni.
The monthly decrease in exports was driven by a sharp fall in uranium exports, which dropped by N$2.7 billion.
Precious stones, including diamonds, also saw a major decline, falling by N$1.4 billion.
Exports of copper and articles of copper were down by N$581 million.
In the fishing sector, the export value of fish decreased by N$137 million.
Crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates dropped by N$99 million.
“While exports fell, imports increased, with several key products contributing to the rise. Imports of petroleum oils went up by N$259 million, reflecting Namibia’s growing demand for fuel. Sulphur and unroasted iron pyrites increased by N$204 million, while nickel ores and concentrates rose by N$203 million. The country also spent more on importing rotating electric plants and parts, which increased by N$148 million. Additionally, imports of aircraft and associated equipment climbed by N$147 million,” he said.
According to the NSA, in August 2025, the country’s trade balance was a record-breaking deficit of N$5.3 billion, a worsened trade balance when compared to a deficit of N$13 million recorded in the previous month.
“A year-on-year comparison shows a deficit of N$3.4 billion recorded in the same month of 2024. The analysis of Namibia’s top trading partners revealed that South Africa remained dominant on both import and export flows,” he said.
Regarding trade on food items, Namibia was a net exporter of food items with a trade surplus of N$489 million and a net importer of Beverages, having recorded a deficit amounting to N$267 million.
Fish was the only non-mineral product among the top five exports.
Re-exports saw a decrease in the month on-month and year-on-year comparisons by 24.4% and 8.8%, accordingly.
The re-exports basket primarily comprised of copper and articles of copper, petroleum oils, precious stones (diamonds), ores and concentrates of base metals as well as Nickel ores and concentrates of base metals.
On the other hand, the import basket comprised of petroleum oils, motor vehicles (for commercial purposes), motor vehicles for the transportation of persons, Nickel ores and concentrates of base metals as well as civil engineering and contractors’ equipment.
The current report considered Liquefied Petroleum Gases (LPG) as the commodity of the month.
The analysis revealed that the country imported LPG worth an amount of N$42.5 million, from South Africa and Congo – Brazzaville.
On the other hand, the country did not export this commodity during the period under review.