Non-oil foreign and free zone trade up 19% in first nine month of 2012

Abu Dhabi: The total general non-oil foreign trade (non-oil foreign and free zone trade) edged up by 19% in the United Arab Emirates during the first nine months of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. A Federal Customs Authority (FCA) statistical study showed that the general non-oil foreign trade soared to Dh 1.138 billion in the period of January- 30 September 2012 compared to Dh 960 billion in the same period of the last year to mark an increase of Dh 178 billion. The total non-oil foreign trade increased to Dh 797.4 billion in the first nine months of 2012, while the total free zone trade edged up to Dh 340.9 billion within the same period, the FCA said in a press release on Tuesday. The imports share in the UAE total general trade hit Dh 692.7 billion for the first nine months of 2012, while the exports hit Dh 53.8 billion and the re-exports hit Dh 298.1 billion, the FCA said. The total free zone trade, according to the FCA study said, achieved considerable growth of 24% in the first nine months of 2012 compared to the same period of the previous year, rising from Dh 275.1 billion to Dh 340.9 billion. The free zone trade achieved impressive growth in exports and re-exports compared to the growth rate of imports within the same period, reflecting a great improvement in competitiveness of the exports of the UAE free zones and an increase of the regional and international demand for them". "Free Zones imports jumped by 16% from Dh 165.5 billion to Dh 192.6 billion in the first nine months of 2012. Meanwhile, exports hiked 24% from Dh 9.2 billion to Dh 12.6 billion. and re-exports grow by 36% from Dh 100.5 billion to Dh 137 billion". In terms of weight, the volume of free zones and markets trade in the said period reached 19,2 million tons, including 12,6 million tons of imports, 1.2 million tons of exports and 5.4 million tons of re-exports. The study stated that the Asia-Pacific countries and Australia maintained its top rank among UAE's trade partners with respect to the FZ trade volume in the first nine months of 2012. This region contributed Dh 149,9 billion (47%) of the total FZ trade volume, according to FCA. While "The MENA region ranked second with Dh 77.9 billion (24%), followed by Europe with Dh 52.7 billion (17%), America and the Caribbean with Dh 32.1 billion (7%), East and South Africa region with Dh 9.4 billion (3%) and West and Central Africa region with Dh 5.2 billion (2%)", FCA added. As the study the first nine months of 2012 marked a significant increase in the total FZ trade volume with the GCC countries terms of re-exports, compared to imports, reflecting that the GCC countries represent one of the major export destinations to the UAE's free zones. The total UAE FZ trade volume with the GCC countries in terms of value hit Dh 42,1 billion in the said period with Dh 5,1 billion in imports, Dh 35.6 billion of re-exports and Dh 1.4 billion of exports. Saudi Arabia took the first spot among GCC region's trading partners during the said period with a total value of Dh 26.4 billion i.e. 62.7% of total trade. Kuwait came second with Dh 6.9 billion (16.5%), followed by Qatar with Dh 4.5 billion (10.7%), Bahrain with Dh 2.3 billion (5.4%) and Oman with Dh 2 billion (4.8%). The study also pointed out that the total trade volume of the UAE free zones and markets with the Arab countries during the said period rose in terms of re-exports, amounting to Dh 78,7 billion of which Dh 6,8 billion are in imports, Dh 4.3 billion are in exports and Dh 67.7 billion worth of re-exports. The study confirmed that telephone sets took the first position among imports during the said period, with a value of Dh 28.5 billion. It was followed by petroleum oils and processed mineral oils with Dh 16.5 billion, data processing devices, magnetic and optical readers (Dh 15 billion), gold (Dh 12.2 billion), cars (Dh 5.9 billion), and diamond (Dh 5 billion). Cigar and cigarettes also took the first rank in the exports list during the first nine months of 2012 with total value of Dh 2.3 billon. Petroleum oils and processed mineral oils came second (Dh 2 billion) followed by bilot boats, fireboats and dredgers (Dh 427 million) and copper wires (Dh 374 million) and Dimond (Dh 280.7 million). On the level of re-exports, telephone sets came first with a total value of Dh 30,4 billion, followed by data processing devices, magnetic and optical readers (Dh 12,5 billion), petroleum oils and processed mineral oils (Dh 12,4 billion), gold (Dh 8.7 billion), diamond (Dh 4 billion). – Emirates News Agency, WAM