Foreign trade indices (ICE) declined in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the High Commission for Planning (HCP).
The index of unit values for imports fell by 1.4%, while that of unit values for exports saw a decrease of 3.7%, specifies the HCP in a note relating to the ICE in Q1-2020. On import, the decrease is mainly due to the decrease in unit values of “semi-finished products” by 4.8%, of “energy and lubricants” of 6.3%, of “raw products of mineral origin” 44.6% and “food, beverages and tobacco” 1.6%.
The indices of average values of “finished industrial equipment products”, “finished consumer products” and “finished agricultural equipment products” increased by 5.5%, 2.4% and 2.0% respectively, thus mitigating the fall in the overall import index.
With regard to exports, the decline is mainly explained by the decrease in unit values of “semi-finished products” by 15.5%, of “raw mineral products” by 9.5%, of “products finished consumer goods ”of 0.4% and“ finished industrial equipment products ”of 0.2%. On the other hand, this index increased in food, drinks and tobacco ”by 0.7% and“ raw products of animal and vegetable origin ”by 5.7%.
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