The Technical & Commercial Information Department informs that by the end of the first semester exports from Córdoba amounted to USD 4,009 million, which represents 15 percent of the country’s exports during that period.

The total sum is made up of the following percentages, according to types of goods: 49 percent corresponds to agricultural origin manufactures (in Spanish, MOA), 36 percent corresponds to primary products (PP) ,and 15 percent corresponds to industrial origin manufactures (in Spanish, MOI).

The figures evidence a 6 percent decline compared to the same period during the previous year, which can be accounted for by the lower values of the shipments to the province’s three main export destinations (of all 147 during the period): China, Brazil and Viet Nam.

In the case of China, all exports up to June, 2017, reached USD 481 million, 13 percent less than in 2016. China received 29 percent of the total exports of primary products (PP), a product type that dropped, roughly, 7 percent, influenced by the 12 percent fall in the Asian country.

Exports from Córdoba to Brazil, on the other hand, amounted to USD 443 million, 9 percent less than the same period in 2016. The neighbor country is the main destination of industrial origin manufactures from the province (47 percent), a product type that registered a 4 percent fall, caused by the drop in value of shipments to this country (18 percent).

As regards Viet Nam, the main destination of agricultural origin manufactures (12 percent), all shipments in 2017 were valued at USD 379 million, which represented a 4 percent fall compared to 2016. The export of agricultural origin products to this country fell by 20 percent, which a implies a general 6 percent fall for this product type.

Despite the weakening of the main trade partners in the province, other destinations showed a significant growing trend.

In this sense, the export of primary products to Viet Nam and Algeria grew about 53 percent, reaching USD 134 million and USD 124 million during the first semester in 2017, putting these countries in the second and third destinations for the export of this type of products, respectively.

The export of agricultural origin manufactures to Indonesia and the Netherlands, the third and fourth destinations for this type of products, grew by 44 percent and 28 percent, respectively. Furthermore, Malaysia, Spain and Turkey showed and inter-annual growth equivalent to 79 percent, 110 percent and 276 percent, respectively, thus gaining place among the ten most important destinations for this type of product.

Finally, the United States registered an 18 percent growth in relation to the export of industrial origin manufactures, reaching USD 88 million. Germany also showed growth (73 percent), attaining the sum of USD 53 million. Although with smaller figures (around USD 9 million), two other countries also succeeded in gaining a place among the ten main destinations for this type of products: Paraguay and Colombia, which registered increases by 73 percent and 76 percent, respectively.

There are auspicious prospects in the horizon for all these destinations and sectors. This was particularly evident at the Summit of Heads of States of MERCOSUR and Associate Members that took place at Mendoza from July 17 to July 21,

an event at whichArgentina subscribed an Economic Complementation Agreement, which opens up greater opportunities for the export of products from the automotive, textile, agrochemical, and plastic industries.

In relation to this, it should be highlighted that ProCórdoba Agency’s Business Intelligence Service conducts research relevant to the industries, investigating potential destinations and focusing on those such as Colombia, given the traits and needs of local companies.