Export volume of non-traditional products increased 1.8% during February of this year

In February of 2023, the export volume of non-traditional products increased by 1.8% compared to the same month of the last year, driven by the performance of the non-metallic mining (54,3%), agricultural (7,4%) and fishing (20,7%) sectors; this was informed by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) in the technical reportEvolutionof Exports and Imports.

In the result of the non-metallic mining area influenced the greater transactions of natural calcium phosphate (96.0%), anthracites (189.3%), and laminated safety glass for automobiles, aircrafts and others (10.9%), among others. In agricultural sector, outstands the greater sales of fresh grapes (69.7%), blueberries (65.8%), avocados (54.5%), preparations for animals feed (13.1%), paprika (1.5%) and raw cacao (1.9%).

Regarding the exports of fishing sector, it outstands the shipments of mussels, scallops, frozen products, (185.1%), squid and cuttlefishes (141.3%), livers, roes and fish eggs (22.2%), as well as shrimps and decapods (731.9%).

During the month under analysis, the total export volume of goods decreased by 30.6%, compared with February of the last year, due to lower shipments of traditional products (-44.3%). The main destination countries of exports were China with 23.3%, United States of America with 21.0% and Japan with 4.9% of the total export value in real terms.

The export volume of traditional products decreased by 44.3% compared to the same month of 2022, due to the lower shipments of agricultural (-76.0%), mining (-51.0%), fishing (-17.2%), as well as the oil and natural gas (-3,9%) sectors.

Thus, in the agricultural sector were reported lower shipments of coffee (-82.1%). Among the mining products that showed unfavorable behavior were copper (-58.5%), gold (-3.2%), zinc (-60.1%), lead (- 39.5%), iron (-23.1%), molybdenum (-74.5%) and tin (-81.9%).Likewise, the export volume of fish flour (-10.5%) and fish oil (-75.3%); was unfavorable affected as well as the volume of natural gas (-27.2%) and crude oil (-18.2%).

In February of this year, total import volume decreased by 3.2% compared to the same month of the last year. In addition, it was reported the main supplier countries of goods were China and United States of America with a participation of 27.4% and 22.7%, respectively, over the total import volume.

The same trend was presented during the period January-February of 2023, the volume imported registered a setback of 8.3%, due to the lower income of capital goods and construction materials (-13.6%), as well as raw materials and intermediate products (-9.5%); the acquisition of consumer goods, showed a positive performance.

During February of this year, the import of consumer goods increased by 5.3% compared to February of the year 2022, due to the increase in the purchase volume of non-durables consumer (8.7%) and consumer durables (1.1%).

Among the non-durables consumer of increased demand, it outstood the medications for human use (13.6%), footwear of textile material and rubber or plastic sole (6.7%), medications for oncologic or HIV treatment (74.6%), other footwear (63.9%). Among the consumer durables that showed greater demand, were the automobiles (23.6%); electro thermic appliances of domestic use (80.1%); coin-operated games, tokens or similar articles (87.2%); covers, cases and similar with surface of textile material (50.7%), among the main ones.

The volume imported of raw material and intermediate products decreased by 7.0% before the lower demand of raw materials and intermediate products for industry (-17.5%), as well as raw materials and intermediate products for agriculture (-14.2%).

Among the raw materials and intermediate products for industry, reported lower demand of polypropylene in primary forms (-36.3%), ammonium nitrate (-53.7%), high-density polyethylene (-42.4%) and low-density polyethylene (-42.6%), among others.

On the other hand, it increased the acquisition of fuels, lubricants and allied products (19.2%), due to the greater purchases of crude oil (132.9%), diesel B5 (26.3%) gasoline free of tetraethyl lead for automobiles (30.7%) and liquid propane gas (36.3%).

The INEI informed that the imported volume of capital goods and construction materials decreased by 2.8% due to the negative evolution of the capital goods for industry (-6.7%), construction materials (-18.3%) and capital goods for agriculture (-30.3%) areas.

The capital goods for the industry that showed negative results were the Smartphones (-11.2%); machines for data processing of weight lower or equal to 10 Kg (-48.8%); digital telecommunication devices (-49.8%); mechanic shovels, bulldozers and wheel loaders (-28.8%), among other.

Among the construction materials, were constructions and its parts of iron or steel casting (-4.7%). On the other hand, the drop of capital goods for agriculture was caused due to lower domestic demand of Caterpillar tractor of power higher than 75 kW and lower or equal to 130 kW (-18.8%) and Caterpillar tractor of power higher than 37 kW and lower or equal to 75 kW (-54.9%).

On the other hand, it increased the purchase of transportation equipment (18.6%), among them, Diesel vehicles for freight transport with load higher than 20 Tons (47.7%), autobuses (64.4%), road tractor for semi-trailer (90.0%), and pneumatics used in vehicles and machines for construction and mining (17.0%), among the main ones.