Fiji - Foreign trade

Like most developing countries that export primarily basic commodities—which are subject to wide market price fluctuations—and import high-valued manufactured products, Fiji has traditionally run a merchandise trade deficit. The years of 1995 and 1996 saw unprecedented trade surpluses while the 1998 merchandise trade deficit was $263 million. In 2000, however, the country reversed again to a trade surplus, this time totaling $227 million.

Clothing production dominates Fiji's export commodities, with over a third of export revenues tied to the apparel trade (33%). Sugar and honey are in second place in export sales (24%). Other exports include fish (7.2%) and gold (7.0%). Most of Fiji's exports go to Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.

In 1994, Fiji's imports were distributed among the following categories:

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