NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas recorded a sharp contraction in external trade during the second quarter of 2025, with imports falling 9 percent year-on-year to $1.24 billion and exports plunging 29 percent to $172 million, according to the Bahamas National Statistical Institute’s latest Foreign Trade Statistics report.
Imports were led by ‘Machinery and Transport Equipment,’ totaling $306 million, followed by ‘Food and Live Animals’ at $226 million and ‘Manufactured Goods Classified Chiefly by Materials’ at $186 million. Together, these categories represented 58 percent of total imports. Other significant import contributors included ‘Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles’ at $159 million, ‘Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials’ at $149 million, and ‘Chemicals’ at $86 million. The report noted sharp declines in mineral fuels, while machinery and transport equipment rose 6 percent year-over-year.
Exports also weakened significantly, falling to $172 million for the quarter, with the largest contributions coming from ‘Machinery and Transport Equipment’ at $69 million, ‘Manufactured Goods Classified Chiefly by Materials’ at $46 million, and ‘Mineral Fuels’ at $18 million—together accounting for 78 percent of total exports. Categories showing the steepest declines compared to the prior year included ‘Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles,’ which dropped 93 percent, ‘Animal and Vegetable Oils and Fats,’ down 87 percent, and ‘Beverages and Tobacco,’ which fell 82 percent.
