This article sets out economic and commercial relations between India and Guinea-Bissau: trade figures, the central place of cashew in that trade, the goods India exports, tariff preferences and the Indian community linked to the cashew season. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of April 2026, and figures are those given in that brief.
Trade figures
According to the MEA brief of April 2026, bilateral trade in value terms (million US$) was as follows, citing the Export Import Database of the Department of Commerce, Government of India:
- 2023-24: India's exports 6.98, India's imports 75.19, total trade 82.17, balance of trade -68.21
- 2024-25: India's exports 22.42, India's imports 181.38, total trade 195.18, balance of trade -162.76
- 2025-26 (April to December 2025): India's exports 11.96, India's imports 259.90, total trade 271.86, balance of trade -247.94
The figures are reproduced exactly as the brief gives them. The 2025-26 figures cover April to December 2025 only, not a full financial year. In each period, India's imports from Guinea-Bissau were larger than its exports, so the balance of trade is shown as negative for India.
Cashew
The brief states that the cashew crop accounts for more than 90% of the export earnings of Guinea-Bissau, and that the majority of the entire cashew crop is exported to India for processing.
Indian exports
The major items of India's exports to Guinea-Bissau, as the brief lists them, include:
- iron and steel
- rice
- pharmaceuticals
- construction material
- textiles
- electrical machinery
The brief lists these items without giving their values.
Business contacts
Mr. Mamudo DJAU, Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Energy, Industry and Natural Resources of Guinea-Bissau, took part in the CII-EXIM Bank Regional Conclave in West Africa, held in Abuja on 8-9 October 2018.
Tariff preferences
India's Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme is applicable for the import of select commodities from Guinea-Bissau.
Investment
The Indian line of credit earmarked for Guinea-Bissau is described in the development article of this guide.
The Indian community and the cashew season
The brief states that there are about 300 Indians in Guinea-Bissau. In addition, every year during the cashew crop season, 40-50 Indians visit Guinea-Bissau for a few weeks to negotiate, purchase and ship consignments of raw cashew to India.