(Ecofin Agency) - Côte d'Ivoire's merchandise trade balance recorded a surplus of 724.3 billion CFA Francs ($1.22 billion) at the end of August this year, almost double (+91.1%) that of end August 2018, which was 379.048 billion CFA Francs ($643 million). Data was provided by the Ivorian Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Over the period reviewed, exports totaled 4,994.480 billion CFA Francs ($8.4 billion), up 29.2% compared to the amount at the end of August 2018. This good performance was mainly driven by the increase in value of sales of mining products (+40.2%) and the growth of products of “industrial and export-based agriculture,” with, in particular a positive trend in value sales of cocoa beans (+15.8%), rubber (+12.5%) and cotton mass (+28.8%). Meanwhile, imports reached 4,167.552 billion CFA Francs ($7.1 billion), down 30.6% YoY. Imports are mainly composed of food products (+7.0%) and other consumer goods (+4.0%), intermediate goods such as fertilizers (+74.9%), products in the category “iron, cast iron, steel and iron products” (+7.5%), oil products (+10.3%) and chemicals (+13.3%).

Let’s note the import-export coverage rate was 117.4%, over the period.

André Chadrak