Highlight 12/2026: Advancing International Trade and Economic Growth in The Gambia: Summary of the 2026 WTO Trade Policy Review
Omar Samba, 13 April 2026
The Gambia’s fourth Trade Policy Review (TPR) by the WTO, conducted in February 2026, assesses the country’s trade regime against the backdrop of structural vulnerabilities and recent reform efforts. As a least developed country with a GDP per capita of USD 855 in 2024, The Gambia faces challenges related to economic concentration, infrastructure gaps, and gender disparities. However, its strategic coastal location, growing FDI, and commitment to trade facilitation offer a foundation for sustainable growth.
The Gambia’s economy remains heavily dependent on services mainly tourism and agriculture, particularly groundnuts, which employ the majority of the workforce. Manufacturing contributes only 5–6% of GDP, and the informal sector is large, with women comprising over 80% of its participants. GDP growth averaged 4.2% during the review period, with a sharp downturn in 2020 due to COVID-19, followed by a services-led recovery. Inflation has exceeded targets since 2022, driven by high import prices. FDI surged following the 2016 democratic transition, reaching USD 249 million in 2021, with investments concentrated in manufacturing, agriculture, and energy. Trade competitiveness remains strong in groundnuts and fish, and trade costs have fallen below Africa’s average. Nevertheless, climate vulnerability, gender inequality, and infrastructure deficits in energy and digital connectivity persist.
The Gambia’s trade policy is guided by national development plans and anchored in WTO and ECOWAS commitments. It has ratified key WTO agreements, including the Trade Facilitation Agreement and the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, and participates in several joint initiatives. However, tariff bindings remain low (16.3% of lines), creating unpredictability, and tariff exemptions equate to 2% of GDP. Customs modernization, including the rollout of the Gambia National Single Window and ASYCUDA World, has reduced clearance times to two days, though physical inspections still affect 61% of consignments.
The TPR identifies persistent challenges: economic concentration in tourism and agriculture, weak infrastructure, high tariff variability, and low formalization. Gender disparities and climate risks further constrain inclusive growth. Members commended The Gambia’s WTO engagement but urged reforms in competition policy, trade facilitation, and tariff transparency.
To advance international trade and economic growth, The Gambia should pursue a three-pronged strategy. First, diversification is critical, investing in agro-processing, sustainable fisheries, and special economic zones to reduce reliance on groundnuts and tourism. Second, trade facilitation must be enhanced through full implementation of the single window, broader use of authorized economic operators, and tariff binding reforms to improve predictability. Third, deeper regional integration under the AfCFTA and ECOWAS should be prioritized to expand market access and formalize cross-border trade.
Cross-cutting issues such as gender mainstreaming, climate resilience, and fiscal stability are also essential. Implementing these reforms could raise GDP growth to 6–7% annually and strengthen The Gambia’s position as a regional trade hub. Continued monitoring through mechanisms like time release studies will support sustained progress.
Omar Samba, Highlight 12/2026: Advancing International Trade and Economic Growth in The Gambia: Summary of the 2026 WTO Trade Policy Review, 13 April 2026, available at www.meig.ch
The views expressed in the MEIG Highlights are personal to the authors and neither reflect the positions of the MEIG Programme nor those of the University of Geneva