In April alone, export value was estimated at 6.05 billion USD, down 3.8% from the previous month and 0.8% year-on-year.
Of the total, agricultural products accounted for 12.16 billion USD, up 1.5%; livestock products 245 million USD, up 45.5%; fisheries 3.59 billion USD, up 11.9%; and forestry products 5.82 billion USD, up 0.8%.
Asia remained the largest export market, accounting for 44.1% of total turnover, followed by the Americas and Europe with shares of 20.9% and 15.8%, respectively. Export value to Asia rose 11.5%, Europe 3.7% and Oceania 19.8%, while shipments to the Americas and Africa fell 3.5% and 26%, respectively.
China continued to be the largest importer, making up 21.1% of total exports, followed by the US (18.5%) and Japan (7%). Exports to China surged 28.8%, while those to Japan edged up 1.3% and shipments to the US declined 4.8%.
Exports of key commodities showed mixed trends. Pepper and fruit and vegetables posted strong growth, with pepper exports reaching 95,100 tonnes worth 614.4 million USD, up 20.9% in value, and fruit and vegetable exports rising 22.3% to 2.06 billion USD.
Meanwhile, several commodities saw declines in export value despite higher volumes. Coffee exports rose 15% in volume but fell 7.8% in value due to a sharp drop in prices. Rubber and cashew nuts also recorded slight declines in value, while rice exports dropped 11.1%. Tea exports decreased in both volume and value.
Growth was concentrated in several Asian markets, particularly China, which recorded increases of 80.8%, 44.4% and 49.6% in imports of coffee, rice, and fruit and vegetables. Other markets also saw notable gains, including the US for pepper (up 54.2%), Thailand for cashew nuts (up 58.6%), and Indonesia for rubber (2.2-fold increase).
In contrast, declines were recorded in several markets, including the Philippines, Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire and the United Arab Emirates. Global price fluctuations remained a key factor affecting export performance.
Meanwhile, total import turnover of agro-forestry-fishery products in the four-month period was estimated at 17.65 billion USD, up 12% year-on-year. Imports of agricultural products reached 11.51 billion USD, up 16.2%, while livestock, fisheries and forestry products also recorded growth./.
