Botswana Skincare Products Import Market -- HS Code 3304 Trade Data & Price Trend (Feb 2025)

Botswana Skincare Products Import (HS 3304) Key Takeaways

Botswana’s skincare products import (HS Code 3304) surged 13.5% in February 2025, driven by rising demand for differentiated cosmetics, from mass-market skin care to premium powders. The market is dominated by a handful of retail intermediaries like Ackermans, creating supply chain risks, while South Africa supplies over 80% of volume—mostly lower-value goods—leaving Botswana exposed to regional disruptions. This analysis, covering February 2025, is based on cleanly processed customs data from the yTrade database.

Botswana Skincare Products Import (HS 3304) Background

What is HS Code 3304?

HS Code 3304 covers beauty or skincare preparations, including products like eye makeup and other cosmetic formulations. These items are essential for personal care and beauty industries, driving consistent global demand due to their widespread consumer use. The stability of this market is underpinned by ongoing trends in grooming and skincare routines.

Current Context and Strategic Position

Botswana recorded its highest import value for HS Code 33042090 (Other Eye Make-up Preparations) in October 2024, reaching USD 28.44K, followed by a secondary peak in May 2025 [Market Inside Data]. This suggests fluctuating demand patterns, possibly influenced by seasonal or policy-driven factors. Botswana's skincare products import market is strategically significant due to its reliance on foreign beauty products, necessitating close monitoring of trade dynamics. Understanding HS Code 3304 trade data is critical for stakeholders to navigate this evolving landscape effectively.

Botswana Skincare Products Import (HS 3304) Price Trend

Key Observations

Botswana's skincare products import value reached $4.30 million in February 2025, reflecting a 13.5% month-over-month increase from January's $3.79 million. This growth was supported by a 7.4% rise in import volume to 410.60 thousand kg, while the average unit price also climbed from $9.90/kg to $10.47/kg.

Price and Volume Dynamics

The sequential growth in both volume and unit price indicates strengthening demand or possible inventory restocking ahead of seasonal peaks. The Botswana Skincare Products Import trend appears to be gaining momentum early in the year, though this may also reflect broader consumer spending patterns or exchange rate movements influencing landed costs. The hs code 3304 value trend suggests a firm start to 2025, though further data will be needed to confirm whether this represents a sustained shift or shorter-term variability.

Botswana Skincare Products Import (HS 3304) HS Code Breakdown

Product Specialization and Concentration

In February 2025, Botswana's import of HS Code 3304 is heavily concentrated in skin care preparations. According to yTrade data, the dominant product is cosmetic and toilet preparations for skin care, which makes up over 60% of the import volume and value. This category has a unit price of about 6 USD per item, indicating a mass-market focus. An isolated high-value anomaly exists for compressed powders priced over 100 USD per unit, which is separate from the main import pool.

Value-Chain Structure and Grade Analysis

The remaining imports fall into two clear groups: make-up products like lip and eye preparations with unit prices around 13-16 USD, and various powder forms ranging from basic grades at 2 USD to premium ones near 50 USD. This variety in price and product type shows that Botswana's HS Code 3304 import consists of differentiated manufactured goods, not uniform commodities, with distinct value stages from everyday items to higher-end cosmetics.

Strategic Implication and Pricing Power

For businesses involved in Botswana's HS Code 3304 import, the market's structure supports pricing power for suppliers of specialized or high-grade products. Strategic focus should be on securing partnerships with manufacturers that offer differentiated items, as HS Code 3304 trade data confirms opportunities in premium segments beyond bulk skin care.

Table: Botswana HS Code 3304) Breakdown Details (Source: yTrade)

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Botswana Skincare Products Import (HS 3304) Origin Countries

Geographic Concentration and Dominant Role

South Africa is the dominant source for Botswana's Skincare Products imports in February 2025, supplying 82.45% of the total value. This share is notably lower than its 93.98% quantity share, indicating the shipments from South Africa consist of lower-value or bulk variants of these goods. The extremely high frequency of shipments (83.78% of all transactions) confirms a pattern of small-ticket, high-frequency trade, typical of direct retail distribution or just-in-time supply chains for consumer goods.

Origin Countries Clusters and Underlying Causes

The remaining import partners form two distinct clusters. The first is a high-yield cluster, including China Mainland and the United Kingdom. They hold a combined value share of 10.1% but a much smaller quantity share of 3.22%, signaling their role as sources for premium, higher-priced skincare items. The second is a volume cluster, comprised of Poland, Spain, and the United States. They contribute a larger portion of the total quantity (1.98%) relative to their value share (4.95%), suggesting these origins supply more competitively priced, mass-market products.

Forward Strategy and Supply Chain Implications

Botswana's import structure for Skincare Products shows a critical dependency on South Africa for the bulk of its supply. This creates a significant vulnerability to any logistical, economic, or political disruptions affecting cross-border trade between the two nations. To build a more resilient supply chain, importers should actively develop sourcing relationships with partners in the identified high-yield and volume clusters. This would diversify risk and provide access to a wider range of product grades and price points for the Botswana market.

Table: Botswana Skincare Products (HS 3304) Top Origin Countries (Source: yTrade)

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Botswana Skincare Products (HS 3304) Suppliers Analysis

Supplier Concentration and Dominance

In February 2025, the market for Botswana Skincare Products Import suppliers was highly concentrated, with one group dominating trade. According to yTrade data, suppliers with high value and high frequency accounted for 95.24% of the import value, 93.93% of the quantity, and 81.02% of the shipment frequency. This means almost all trade comes from a small set of reliable, high-volume partners.

Strategic Supplier Clusters and Trade Role

The dominant suppliers, including Ackermans and Foschini Retail Group, are retail chains, indicating an intermediated market where products flow through large distributors rather than direct from factories. Other groups play minor roles: high value low frequency suppliers contributed 2.79% of value, while low value clusters had even smaller shares. The profile of HS code 3304 suppliers shows a trade structure centered on established retail intermediaries.

Sourcing Strategy and Vulnerability

For importers in Botswana, this reliance on a few key suppliers offers efficiency but risks supply chain disruptions. Strategic focus should be on strengthening relationships with dominant partners while diversifying sources to reduce dependency. Regulatory changes, such as those outlined in tariff notes for 2025 [BURS], could impact costs and require adaptive sourcing plans.

Table: Botswana Skincare Products (HS 3304) Top Suppliers List (Source: yTrade)

Check Full Skincare Products Supplier lists

Action Plan for Skincare Products Market Operation and Expansion

• Diversify sourcing beyond South Africa using hs code 3304 trade data to identify and engage suppliers from high-yield (e.g., China, UK) and volume (e.g., Poland, US) clusters, reducing vulnerability to regional supply chain disruptions and accessing a wider range of product grades.
• Target partnerships with manufacturers of specialized or premium products, such as compressed powders or high-end makeup, to move beyond bulk skin care and capture higher margins in Botswana's Skincare Products Import market, as the data confirms distinct value stages exist.
• Strengthen relationships with dominant high-frequency retail suppliers like Ackermans while developing backup options from low-frequency, high-value partners to balance the efficiency of the current Skincare Products supply chain with greater resilience against logistical or regulatory changes.
• Continuously monitor hs code 3304 trade data for shifts in unit price and product mix to quickly identify new opportunities in emerging premium segments or competitive threats, ensuring your import strategy for Botswana Skincare Products remains aligned with the most profitable market trends.

Take Action Now —— Explore Botswana Skincare Products Import Data

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is driving the recent changes in Botswana Skincare Products Import 2025 February?

Botswana's skincare imports grew 13.5% in value and 7.4% in volume from January 2025, with rising unit prices ($10.47/kg) signaling stronger demand or pre-season restocking. The market is dominated by mass-market skin care (60% share) but includes premium segments like compressed powders (over $100/unit).

Q2. Who are the main origin countries of Botswana Skincare Products (HS Code 3304) 2025 February?

South Africa supplied 82.45% of import value and 93.98% of volume, while China and the UK contributed 10.1% of value (premium items). Poland, Spain, and the US provided competitively priced mass-market products.

Q3. Why does the unit price differ across origin countries of Botswana Skincare Products Import?

Price gaps stem from product differentiation: South Africa ships bulk skin care ($6/unit), while China and the UK supply high-end items (e.g., powders at $50/unit). Make-up products (lip/eye prep) average $13–16/unit.

Q4. What should importers in Botswana focus on when buying Skincare Products?

Importers should prioritize partnerships with dominant retail suppliers (e.g., Ackermans, Foschini) but diversify sourcing to mitigate reliance on South Africa (83.78% shipment frequency). Premium segments (China/UK) offer higher margins.

Q5. What does this Botswana Skincare Products import pattern mean for overseas suppliers?

Suppliers in China/UK can target Botswana’s premium demand, while mass-market exporters (Poland, Spain, US) must compete on price. South African retailers retain leverage due to high-frequency, low-cost dominance.

Q6. How is Skincare Products typically used in this trade flow?

Imported skincare items are primarily consumer-facing cosmetics, including mass-market skin care (60% share) and specialized make-up (lip/eye preparations). Retail chains dominate distribution, indicating direct-to-consumer sales.