Brussels, 10/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - With a few days to go until negotiations resume on 14 October between the EU and Algeria for an “action plan” and enhanced economic cooperation, Algeria has been looking at the results of its trade with its European partners. In the first half of 2013, Algerian exports excluding hydrocarbons to the EU increased by 66%, according to ALGEX (export promotion agency) in a report on the situation published on 3 October. It explained that, “assessing the impact of the association agreement” on exports excluding hydrocarbons, per sector, “illustrates a preponderance of exports of industrial products to the tune of 94%”. The global volume of trade between Algeria and the EU accounts for, “almost 61% of the total” in Algeria's external trade and, according to the agency, “$39.1 billion for the first half of 2013, $15 billion in imports and $24 billion in exports”. A negative trade balance is expected, “due to average oil prices for the first half of 2013 that were much below those for the same period in 2012, in addition to an increase in imports”. Algeria's trade balance “remains fragile because it depends on the international economic context involving raw materials, hydrocarbon exports and imports of basic products”.
ALGEX explains that in absolute value, exports excluding oil and gas and their derivatives were worth $1.4 billion and only, “accounted for 4% of Algeria's total exports”. ALGEX adds that the main products exported are solvents, which account for 69% of total industrial products, ammonia (19.3%), phosphate (3%) and methanol (2.5%).
The share of exports held by manufactured product “remains at a minimum” and experienced a 1.82% fall in the first half of 2013. “Agricultural and processed agricultural products accounted for 6.2% of all exports excluding hydrocarbons to the EU during the first six months of 2013. Exports of these products benefited from preferential advantages of 0% customs duties with or without quotas and accounted for a 27% rate of total agricultural and processed agricultural products, 95% of which were not subject to quotas”. Products subject to quotas do not appear to have reached full quota levels (597 tonnes of potatoes out of a 5,000 tonne quota, “just 12% of the quota used” and the 1,000-ton olive oil quota imposed by the EU only reached a 0.12% level or just 1.2 tonnes). On the other hand, exports of agricultural and processed agricultural goods, “which did not benefit from preferential advantage accounted for 73% of agricultural exports to the EU” and “increased by 110% compared to the same period in 2012” (our translation throughout). (FB/transl.fl)