In 2020, Sudan’s largest imports were raw sugar ($560 million) and wheat ($530 million). The country also imported $160 million worth of tractors. There are an estimated 51.5 million cultivatable acres in Sudan, of which 4.3 million acres are irrigated. Sudan is also the world’s largest exporter of “other oily seeds” (e.g.: groundnuts, sunflower, soybean, safflower, sesame), valued at $746 million in 2020, and it exported $143 million in livestock (mostly to the Gulf region). Over 80 percent of the world’s gum Arabic (acacia gum), an important input for food additives, paint, and cosmetics, is produced in Sudan.
Sudanese business contacts express great interest in purchasing U.S. agricultural inputs, primarily seeds, irrigation equipment, and farming machinery. Several U.S. companies have authorized agents that offer farm machinery and related implements for sale. The agriculture divisions of several large Sudanese private sector companies have ongoing business relationships with U.S. companies.
Many large Sudanese agricultural firms are state-owned enterprises (SOEs) or military-owned companies. U.S. companies seeking to do business with these SOEs should be aware of the potential reputational risk of doing business with these companies. Due diligence when engaging with SOEs, especially military-owned SOEs, is critically important.