Mali’s gold exports fell 0.3% in 2020 due to a fall in artisanal exports, the National Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) reported on Saturday.
Mining, mostly for gold, accounts for nearly 10% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020.
Diatigui Camara, head of foreign trade statistics at INSTAT, said the country exported 65.42 tonnes last year, compared to 65.67 tonnes in 2019.
He said the data was published after a lengthy delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing political crisis.
The gold mining industry in Mali is dominated by thirteen industrial gold mining companies, including Barrick Gold, Resolute Mining, B2GOLD, AngloGold Ashanti, and Endeavour Mining.
A total of 350 artisanal gold mines operate in the country, and approximately 170 kilograms of gold were exported in 2020, down from 540 kilograms the year before, Camara said.
A statistics official, who asked not to be identified, said that artisanal gold exporters have been avoiding official customs channels in recent years because of higher taxes.