Overseas Merchandise Trade Statistics, February 2008

Provisional data on Fiji’s total imports for the month of February 2008 was $271.2 million, domestic exports was $55.2 million and total exports was $82.9 million.

Compared to the previous corresponding month, imports increased by $87.6 million (47.7%) whilst total exports decreased by $8.8 million (9.6%). Of the total exports, domestic exports decreased by $15.4 million (21.8%) but re-exports increased by $6.6 million (31.3%).

The February 2008 trade deficit amounted to $188.3 million.

For the month of February 2008, Vegetable products, Mineral products, Base metals & articles thereof and Machinery, mechanical & electrical appliances & parts thereof comprised 62.3 per cent of imports. Of these:

• Wheat and meslin contributed 3.2 per cent to the 6.3 per cent growth in Vegetable products

• Motor spirit contributed 4.5 per cent, aviation turbine fuel 15.5 per cent and industrial diesel oil 13.5 per cent to the 36.6 per cent growth in Mineral fuel

• Semi-finished products of iron and non-alloy steel contributed 1.6 per cent and corrugated roofing iron 0.4 per cent to the 6.6 per cent growth in base metals & articles thereof

• Machinery for sugar manufacture contributed 1.7 per cent, parts and accessories of automatic data processing machines 0.5 per cent, machinery for retreading pneumatic tyres 0.9 per cent and electronic generators 0.5 per cent to the 12.8 per cent growth in Machinery & mechanical & electrical appliances & parts thereof

• Singapore, up $34.8 million (53.6%) to $99.8 million due to increased imports of motor spirit, aviation turbine fuel and industrial diesel oil

• Australia, up $23.6 million (63.0%) to $61.1 million due to increased imports of milk for infant use, wheat, meslin, crude soya-bean oil, liquefied butanes and new cars

• New Zealand, up $3.8 million (9.7%) to $42.9 million due to increased imports of butter, semi-finished products of iron and non-alloy steel and corrugated roofing sheets

• United States of America, up $5.4 million (117.0%) to $10.1 million due to increased imports of oil cake from the extraction of soya bean oil and parts of aeroplanes

• India, up $4.2 million (81.4%) to $9.3 million due to increased imports of machinery for sugar manufacture. Imports of sugar also contributed to the increase in imports.

For the month of February 2008, Live animals: animal products, Vegetable products, Prepared foodstuffs, beverages, spirits & tobacco and Textile and textile articles comprised 75.8 per cent Of these:

• Fresh fish contributed 12.0 per cent to the 20.1 per cent growth in Live animals: animal products

• Taro contributed 3.7 per cent and flour 2.9 per cent to the 10.5 per cent growth in Vegetable products

• Sweet biscuits contributed 2.7 per cent and mineral water 17.8 per cent to the 28.2 per cent growth in Prepared foodstuffs, beverages, spirits & tobacco

• Garments contributed 15.8 per cent to the 17.0 per cent growth in Textile & textile articles

• United States of America, up $5.8 million (71.1%) to $13.9 million due to increased exports of tuna and mineral water

• Australia, up $1.1 million (10.2%) to $12.2 million due to increased exports of sweet biscuits and garments

• New Zealand, up $1.1 million (24.1%) to $5.8 million due to increased exports of Taro and molasses

• Western Samoa, up $0.5 million (28.1%) to $2.2 million due to increased exports of flour

• Hong Kong, down $0.4 million (23.1%) to $1.3 million due to decreased exports of dried fish.

Re-exports totaled $27.6 million. Petroleum products sold to visiting ships, aircraft and to the neighboring Pacific Island Countries earned $23.1 million.