Nigeria’s Total Merchandise trade rose by 23.28% to N12.02 trillion in the second quarter of 2021.
This was disclosed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) after its “Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics – Q2, 2021” was released over the weekend, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
According to NAN, the NBS added that the figure rose to N12.02 trillion from N9.75 trillion recorded in Q1, due to a sharp increase in export value during the quarter under review. They added that the export component of the trade was valued at N5.07 trillion or 42.2% while import was valued at N6.95 trillion or 57.78 % with a trade balance deficit of N1.87 trillion.
Crude oil represented 80.29% of total export for the period valued at N4.07 trillion.
What the NBS said
“This further shows a sharp increase of 111.32 per cent in crude oil value in Q2 compared to N1.92 trillion recorded in Q1, while the non-crude oil export recorded N1 trillion or 19.71 per cent of total export trade in Q2,” the NBS said.
For product classification, NBS said “total value of trade in agricultural goods in Q2 stood at N817.35 billion, with the export component totalling N165.27 billion while the import was valued at N652.08 billion.
“Topmost of these exported agricultural products were good fermented Nigerian Cocoa beans exported mainly to Netherlands (N16.48 billion), Malaysia (N9.32 billion) and the United States of America (N8.41 billion).”
For Solid Minerals, trade stood at N63.68 billion, with the export component at N14.93 billion while import was valued at N48.75 billion, with the top exported mineral products being cement exported to Niger Republic and Togo in values worth N3.12 billion and N2.32 billion.
For the manufactured goods sector, the value of trade stood at N4.51 trillion representing 37.50 per cent of total trade. The export component accounted for N211.67 billion while the import component was valued at N4.29 trillion.
“The products that drove up manufactured products were vessels and other floating structures for breaking up, which was exported to Cameroon in the value worth N71.90 billion.
“Vessels and other floating structures for breaking up were also exported to Spain and Equatorial Guinea in values worth N18.34 billion and N6.26 billion.
“In terms of manufactured imports, used vehicles were mainly imported from the United States and Italy in values worth N33.78 billion and N5.74 billion,” they said.
Raw materials
Total trade stood at N904.51 billion, imports at N840.50 billion while the export component stood at N64.01 billion.
Asia is the leading partner with a record of N3.46 trillion or 49.92% with Europe with N2.30 trillion or 33.16% closely following.
America with N869.1 billion, Africa, N248.8 billion and Oceania, 58.1 billion. ECOWAS countries accounted for N24.2 billion.
On goods imported during the quarter, China led with a value of N2.078 trillion, followed by India with N570.01 billion, Netherlands with N557.16 billion, and the United States with N526.92 billion.
“In terms of regional trade, Nigeria exported most products to Asia (N1.84 trillion), Europe (N1.82 trillion), America (N806.81 billion) and Africa (N584.11 billion) while Oceania totalled N23.28 billion with goods worth N363.3 billion exported to ECOWAS.
“Analysis by country export trade showed that most goods were exported to India (N949.05 billion or), Spain (N524.49 billion), Canada (N355.60 billion) and Netherlands (N298.29 billion) and United States N256.63 billion,” NBS stated.
Note: The official figures for the Q2 Trade Merchandise is yet to be fully published by the NBS.
Why was the excel file not released alongside the Trade Report. Hope this will not be the new norm following Yemi Kale’s exit? Data could easily be altered this way.