In 2000, exports totaled $23.2 million and imports amounted to $86.7 million. Service receipts have helped offset the traditionally adverse trade balances. A commodities marketing board exports copra and cocoa, and cooperatives play a major role in foreign trade.
Most of Vanuatu's export commodities are foodstuffs, including oil seeds, (34%), vegetables (15%), wood (13%), meat (12%), cocoa (4.7%), and fish (1.3%).
In 2000, Vanuatu's imports were distributed among the following categories:
Consumer goods | 16.4% |
Food | 20.2% |
Fuels | 14.1% |
Industrial supplies | 18.2% |
Machinery | 15.7% |
Transportation | 13.1% |
Other | 2.3% |
Principal trading partners in 2000 (in millions of US dollars) were as follows:
COUNTRY | EXPORTS | IMPORTS | BALANCE |
Bangladesh | 5.0 | n.a. | n.a. |
Japan | 2.8 | 4.4 | -1.6 |
United Kingdom | 2.4 | 0.1 | 2.3 |
China (inc. Hong Kong) | 1.6 | 2.8 | -1.2 |
Australia | 1.4 | 28.5 | -27.1 |
Fiji | 1.3 | 7.9 | -6.6 |
New Zealand | 0.7 | 10.0 | -9.3 |
New Caledonia | 0.5 | 5.0 | -4.5 |
France | 0.4 | 3.0 | -2.6 |
Singapore | 0.4 | 2.3 | -1.9 |