Eswatini records E1.89bn imports from SA in Jan

MBABANE – In January 2024, Eswatini imported goods and services worth E1.89 billion and exported E2.26 billion from and to South Africa.

This resulted in a negative trade balance of E370 million.

This is according to trade data published on the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) website.

The OEC is an online data visualisation and distribution platform focused on the geography and dynamics of economic activities.

The OEC integrates and distributes data from a variety of sources to empower analysts in the private sector, public sector and academia.

The top exports of South Africa to Eswatini were refined petroleum (E341 million), corn (E89.8 million), electricity (E81.4 million), paper notebooks (E44.6 million), and delivery trucks (E36 million).

Meanwhile, the top exports to South Africa from Eswatini were scented mixtures (E623 million), raw sugar (E298 million), Prepr binder for foundry (E268 million), coal briquettes (E103 million), and sawn wood (E81.1million).

It was reported that between January 2023 and January 2024, the exports of South Africa have decreased by -E23.3 million (-1.22 per cent) from E1.91 billion to E1.89 billion, while imports increased by E210 million (10.3 per cent) from E2.05 billion to E2.26 billion.

It was reported that the decrease in South Africa’s year-by-year exports to Eswatini was explained primarily by decrease in product exports in Mixed Mineral or chemical fertilisers (-E17.4 million or -66.1 per cent), nitrogenous fertilizers (-E13.5 million or -32 per cent), and large construction vehicles (-E10.7 million or -87.3 per cent).

The increase in South Africa’s year-byyear imports from Eswatini was explained primarily by an increase in product imports in scented mixtures (E147 million or 30.9 per cent), coal briquettes (E57.7 million or 127 per cent), and raw sugar (E36.1 million or 13.8 per cent).