This Working Paper is one of five country papers prepared as part of a study of export diversification by the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) signatories of the Lomé Conventions.

Mauritius accounts for 27% of the non-traditional exports identified in this study and in that sense cannot be regarded as a "typical" ACP country. However, this success is of very recent origin and until the mid-1970s, Mauritius was almost wholly dependent on sugar for its merchandise exports. This factor, combined with its relative geographical isolation, makes it instructive to analyse the basis for the transformation of its exports so that other ACP states may evaluate the scope for emulating this success (and perhaps avoiding some of the risks), and for utilising the provisions of the Lomé Convention to diversify exports.