weighted score 2.5 · ten dimensions
Sourcing Attractiveness Index · ten dimensions
Sudan
Labour cost, supply base depth, logistics infrastructure, trade access, and innovation scores for Sudan as a sourcing destination.
Labour cost competitiveness
8
Extremely low nominal wages but irrelevant — civil war has destroyed productive capacity. No functioning labour market across most of the country.
Supply base depth
2
Negligible manufacturing capacity. Only commercially relevant export is gum arabic, severely disrupted by conflict. No supply chain ecosystem.
Logistics & infrastructure
2
Port Sudan is the only functioning port. Road and rail networks severely damaged. Internal logistics extremely difficult and dangerous.
Workforce skills
3
Pre-war workforce had some agricultural and artisanal skills. Mass displacement has dispersed the skilled population. Education system collapsed in conflict zones.
Scalability
4
Population of ~48M but civil war makes any scaling impossible. Even gum arabic — the primary export — has seen production collapse.
Ease of doing business
1
Active civil war. No functioning regulatory framework. TI CPI 14/100. Property rights unenforceable. Commercial operations effectively impossible across most territory.
Trade access & tariffs
2
EBA eligible (duty-free to EU) but sanctions and conflict make trade access theoretical. Banking system fragmented. Currency collapsed.
Sustainability baseline
1
Famine conditions. 33.7M needing humanitarian aid. Environmental regulation non-existent. Artisanal gold mining causes severe mercury contamination.
Innovation & IP
1
No innovation ecosystem. Research institutions non-functional. No IP framework enforcement. Education system collapsed in conflict zones.
Quality standards
1
No functioning quality standards system. No certification bodies operational. Pre-war standards infrastructure was already minimal.
Labour & Cost Competitiveness
Labour & Cost Competitiveness
- Wage levels
- Sudan has extremely low nominal wages but this is irrelevant for sourcing purposes. Civil war has destroyed productive capacity and displaced the workforce. Wage cost competitiveness is theoretical only — there is no functioning labour market in most of the country.
- Labour availability
- Over 10 million people displaced by the civil war. Much of the working-age population has fled conflict zones. Agricultural labour has collapsed in war-affected regions.
- Cost of operations
- Operating costs are dominated by security risk, not labour cost. Insurance, logistics, and security premiums make any commercial operation in Sudan extremely expensive relative to output value.
Supply Base & Infrastructure
Supply Base & Infrastructure
- Manufacturing capacity
- Sudan has negligible manufacturing capacity. Pre-war industry was limited to food processing, textiles, and cement — all severely damaged or destroyed by conflict.
- Port infrastructure
- Port Sudan is the only functioning major port, controlled by SAF. Capacity is limited and subject to conflict-related disruption. Pre-war port handling was already below regional standards.
- Internal logistics
- Road and rail networks severely damaged. Internal movement of goods is extremely difficult and dangerous across most of the country. Fuel shortages are chronic.
- Key export: gum arabic
- Sudan historically dominated global gum arabic supply (~70%). Production and export have been severely disrupted by conflict but some trade continues through Port Sudan.
Trade Access & Business Environment
Trade Access & Business Environment
- Trade preferences
- EBA eligible as LDC, providing duty-free quota-free access to EU for most products. However, sanctions and conflict make this largely academic.
- Business environment
- TI CPI 2025: 14/100. No functioning regulatory framework across most territory. Property rights unenforceable. Commercial contracts meaningless in conflict zones.
- Banking system
- Banking system fragmented between SAF and RSF-controlled areas. International correspondent banking relationships severely restricted. Currency has collapsed.
- Sanctions impact
- US, EU, and UN sanctions on individuals and arms create severe compliance burden for any commercial engagement. Gold trade is specifically flagged for conflict mineral due diligence.