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What is the structure of foreign trade in Algeria for 2023, according to official government data?
Foreign trade regulation and strategic planning
At a time when the public authorities announce measures concerning imports and exports outside hydrocarbons, a special council having been devoted to him, on July 11, 2025, under the authority of the President of the Republic, following certain disruption harmful to the national economy; It seems useful to me to synthesize the data from the Government Statistics Organization (ONS) on the foreign trade of Algeria for the year 2023 (economic statistics n ° 129). The data delivered is in dinars and to have the amount in dollars, it will be necessary to divide by 134 dinars/a dollar from the course of 2023. For the year 2023, we have a total import (CAF) of 42,650 million dinars and an export value of 54.711 million dinars giving a coverage rate of 128%, and this not included service.
Exports are dominated by gross and semi-breakfast hydrocarbons and among imports we find four main categories: 24.4% food- semi finished products 23.8%- Industrial equipment 26.0%- and consumer goods 14.0%.
Regarding exchanges with the main customer Europe, in 2023 imports represent 33.5% of Algeria which were 14,503 million dinars and exports towards Europe of 35,292 million dinars 64.5%, giving a positive balance in favor of Algeria of 20,789 million dinars.
In geographic areas, we exports with Europe of 27 represent 64.5%for Algeria, and if we include other non -member European countries with a rate of 11.0%, the total of Europe/Algeria/Europe exchanges is 75.0%. North America 5.9%- Latin America- Maghreb 3.6%- Arab countries 0.9%- Africa 1.1% and all of Asia countries 10.1%.
Regarding the structure of exports excluding hydrocarbons, we have for this government document for a total in 2023 of 7,432,428 million dinars the following structure:
-Energie-Lubrifiers 6,691,949, or 90.0%.
-SEMI largely produced hydrocarbon derivatives, the amount of which is 631,897 million dinars or 8.5%, these two sections totaling 98.5%.
For food goods and certain gross and other very marginal products we have 0.8% and 0.7% respectively.
These data join those of the Bank of Algeria announcing a drop in exports excluding hydrocarbons of $ 6.9 billion in 2022, at 5.01 in 2023 and 4.60 billion dollars in 2024, these amounts being more than 80% dominated by hydrocarbon derivatives and marginalization of high value -added products.
In conclusion, any coherent action in order to avoid dysfunctions, must be part of strategic planning, cyclical actions to paraphrase military experts having to mold themselves within the strategic objective function dated and synchronized.
The document of the ONS which delivers raw data after analysis, clearly shows that the Algerian economy is largely dominated by the rent of hydrocarbons, that the rate of integration of public and private enterprises do not exceed 15%, the majority of raw materials and equipment allowing them to function comes from imports including a fraction of the administration and that it takes good regulation of foreign trade far from administrative blockages so as not would have as a consequence of strong social tensions and thereby threatens national security. For months in several national and international contributions, I have drawn the attention of public authorities for economic management, that is to say, regulation taking into account intense and external constraints, in general, instead of administrative management that even the founders of communism, China and Russia have abandoned, while intelligently protecting their national production, playing the prices instead of administrative authorizations and initiate crimes.
Abderrahmane Mebtoul
University professor
International expert