Yemen…. drop in exports value Vs increase in imports value [Archives:2002/38/Business & Economy]

YEMEN TIMES STAFF
The value of Yemeni exports for last year has dropped to YR 521 billion, 629 million compared to the year 2000. The value of its imports, on the other hand, has increased to YR 415 billion, 899 billion. This increase has last year amounted to YR 40 billion, 117 million.
A report issued by the Statistics Central Apparatus has made it clear that Yemen’s trade balance had in 2001 made a fallback amounted to over YR 130 billion out of a total YR 153 billion, 108 million, compared to 2000.
Oil exports came in the first place at 94,72% gaining a revenue of over YR 494 billion but with a decrease of YR 100 billion from that of 2000. Yemeni non-oil exports in 2001 had seen a slight rise from around YR 19 billion to YR 27 billion, i.e. an increase of YR 8 billion.
Asian non-Arab countries have occupied the first place on the list of the countries importing from Yemen at a value of over YR 439 billion by a percentage of 84% of Yemen’s total foreign exports. American countries came at the second place. Yemen exported to them in 2001 YR 22 billion, 723 million worth goods, with an increase of YR 27 billion compared to 2000. Arab countries were the third in the scale among the countries importing from Yemen. Value of Yemen’s exports to these countries amounted to about YR 20 billion, 771 million with an improvement of YR 13 as measured to 2000.
African countries were sequenced the fourth as they had imported from Yemen in 2001 goods worth YR 19 billion, 629 million about YR 13 billion more than in the year of 2000. Yemen had also exported YR 18 billion worth goods to the EU countries but its exports to Eastern Europe countries stopped.
Regarding Yemen’s other scale of the balance of trade, the value of its imports of wheat, flour and rice in 2001 were estimated at YR 49 billion. Its imports of gas oil, fuels and lubrications were at the cost of YR 46,5 billion, transport vehicles YR 26 billion, medicines YR 14,3 billion, milk powder YR 10,4 billion, poultry YR 10,7 billion and cement YR 7,3 billion. Arab countries came the first among countries exporting to Yemen, capturing above YR 160 billion, the GCC countries came in the forefront from which Yemen gets its imports capturing YR 141 billion.
Report of the Statistics Central Apparatus says the Asian non-Arab countries occupied the second place as they exported goods to Yemen at a value of YR 97 billion, then came the European countries at over YR 69 billion.
Yemen’s non-oil exports include fresh fish, vegetables, fruits, detergents, biscuits, honey, cotton, salt, beverages, mineral waters, cigarettes and some sweets and pottery industries. The back down in the value of Yemen’s non-oil exports affects the Yemeni balance of trade and makes it deprived of gaining revenues to be used in bridging deficit in the state’s general budget, especially of non-inflational sources. The government, however, tries to develop its non-oil exports to foreign markets and works for improving its agricultural, industrial products and to expand in building centres of exports and not to depend on oil as the only source for shoring up the country’s general budget.

——
[archive-e:38-v:2002-y:2002-d:2002-09-16-p:./2002/iss38/b&e.htm]