Trade in a Bottle: Identifying Import Bottlenecks in International Trade

Country Matrix

For 2025, the matrix below shows South Africa's number of import bottlenecks for different combinations of minimum import share (%) and minimum import value (USD). Red parentheses show bottlenecks from Danger Zone countries, and lime square brackets show bottlenecks involving Critical Goods.

South Africa

Year: 2025(13 in Danger Zone)[3 Critical Goods]
Value \ Share>= 30%>= 40%>= 50%>= 60%>= 70%>= 80%>= 90%
>= 10 mln USD399(13)[3]297(8)[1]220(2)153(1)965720
>= 50 mln USD131(8)[3]100(5)[1]79(2)50(1)32163
>= 100 mln USD65(3)[3]52(2)[1]43(2)28(1)20103
>= 200 mln USD33(2)[3]27(2)[1]24(2)15(1)1151
>= 500 mln USD9[1]665421

Danger Zone Bottlenecks (13 records, >= 30% share, >= 10 mln USD)

#Partner HS Code HS DescriptionYearShare (%) Value (USD)
1Russian Federation3105Fertilizers; mineral or chemical, containing 2 or 3 of the elements nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium; other fertilisers; goods of chapter 31 in tablets or packages of gross weight not exceeding 10kg202568.64%222,433,670
2United Arab Emirates7408Copper wire202558.79%261,017,233
3Saudi Arabia2814Ammonia; anhydrous or in aqueous solution202549.60%36,326,002
4Bahrain7601Aluminium; unwrought202547.27%31,269,815
5Saudi Arabia2503Sulphur of all kinds; other than sublimed, precipitated and colloidal sulphur202546.18%54,793,902
6Saudi Arabia2905Acyclic alcohols and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives202544.45%56,326,432
7Saudi Arabia3817Mixed alkylbenzenes and mixed alkylnaphthalenes, other than those of heading no. 2707 or 2902202543.49%51,319,756
8Saudi Arabia2902Cyclic hydrocarbons202540.46%33,069,713
9Qatar2814Ammonia; anhydrous or in aqueous solution202536.70%26,876,434
10United Arab Emirates7901Zinc; unwrought202535.07%66,177,332
11Qatar2815Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda); potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) peroxides of sodium or potassium202533.52%40,136,208
12Saudi Arabia3901Polymers of ethylene, in primary forms202530.80%136,616,206
13Russian Federation3104Fertilizers; mineral or chemical, potassic202530.41%70,828,755

Partner frequency summary:

Saudi Arabia: 6 occurrences

Russian Federation: 2 occurrences

United Arab Emirates: 2 occurrences

Qatar: 2 occurrences

Bahrain: 1 occurrence

Legend:

(n)

The number in red parentheses indicates bottlenecks from countries flagged in the Danger Zone.

[n]

The number in lime square brackets indicates bottlenecks involving HS codes flagged in Critical Goods.