The main cash crops are groundnuts, cashews and palm kernels.
Timber is the only significant industry.
Planned developments of oil and bauxite deposits have not progressed as far as had been hoped. In the short term, it seems little can be done to lighten the country's massive foreign debt. Guinea-Bissau will continue to rely on large quantities of foreign aid, of which it is among the highest per capita recipients in the world. France, Portugal, Italy and Thailand are Guinea-Bissau's largest trading partners. A knowledge of Portuguese is useful as only a few executives speak English.