Seychelles - Foreign trade

Foreign trade is habitually in deficit. Strict trade regulations hinder trade growth. Preserved fish (73%), fresh fish (8.0%), salted, dried, and smoked fish (6.5%), and shellfish (3.7%) account for the majority of Seychelles's commodity exports. Other exports include cinnamon and vanilla (2.4%). In 1996 Seychelles's imports were distributed among the following categories:

Consumer goods	11.1%
Food	18.9%
Fuels	3.2%
Industrial supplies	17.1%
Machinery	15.6%
Transportation	33.7%
Other	0.5%

Principal trading partners in 1998 (in millions of US dollars) were as follows:

COUNTRY	EXPORTS	IMPORTS	BALANCE
United Kingdom	30	36	-6
France	19	34	-15
Netherlands	18	4	14
Italy	16	31	-15
Japan	5	15	-10
Spain	3	14	-11
United States	2	11	-9
South Africa	2	52	-50
Saudi Arabia	n.a.	16	n.a.
Singapore	n.a.	40	n.a.