AGOA Status: Lesotho is eligible for AGOA this year. It also qualifies for textile and apparel benefits.
Trade Agreements: The U.S. and the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), which includes Lesotho, signed a Trade, Investment, and Development Cooperative Agreement (TIDCA) in 2008. The TIDCA establishes a forum for consultative discussions, cooperative work, and possible agreements on a wide range of trade issues, with a special focus on customs and trade facilitation, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, and trade and investment promotion.
U.S.-Lesotho Trade Facts
In 2019, Lesotho GDP was an estimated $2.7 billion (current market exchange rates); real GDP was up by an estimated 1.2%; and the population was 2 million. (Source: IMF)
Lesotho is currently our 135th largest goods trading partner with $327 million in total (two way) goods trade during 2019. Goods exports totaled $1 million; goods imports totaled $325 million. The U.S. goods trade deficit with Lesotho was $324 million in 2019.
Exports
- Lesotho was the United States' 220th largest goods export market in 2019.
- U.S. goods exports to Lesotho in 2019 were $1 million, down 47.6% ($1 million) from 2018 and down 92.7% from 2009.
- The top export categories (2-digit HS) in 2019 were: machinery ($647 thousand), optical and medical instruments ($161 thousand), electrical machinery ($119 thousand), aircraft ($53 thousand), and miscellaneous chemical products ($44 thousand).
- U.S. total exports of agricultural products to Lesotho totaled $3 thousand in 2019.
Imports
- Lesotho was the United States' 104th largest supplier of goods imports in 2019.
- U.S. goods imports from Lesotho totaled $325 million in 2019, down 22.8% ($96 million) from 2018, but up 7.0% from 2009.
- The top import categories (2-digit HS) in 2019 were: knit apparel ($219 million), woven apparel ($84 million), precious metal and stone (diamonds) ($19 million), electrical machinery ($3 million), and special other (low value estimates) ($397 thousand).
- U.S. total imports of agricultural products from Lesotho totaled $60 thousand in 2019.
Trade Balance
- The U.S. goods trade deficit with Lesotho was $324 million in 2019, a 22.7% decrease ($95 million) over 2018.
Investment
- U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in Lesotho (stock) was $3 million in 2019, unchanged from 2018. There is no information on the distribution of U.S. FDI in Lesotho.
- No data on Lesotho's FDI in the U.S. are available. There is no information on the distribution of Lesotho FDI in the U.S.
NOTE: No services trade data with Lesotho are available.
