Chamwe Kaira
The Namibia Statistics Agency said this week in trade statistics that during November 2023, goods worth a total of N$4.9 billion, representing a 41.7 percent of total exports left the country by sea, translating into an increase of 66.4 percent when compared to October 2023. The basket of exports via sea comprised mainly of uranium, copper and articles of copper and fish.
Goods exported via air accounted for 34.8% of total exports, of which its export basket was mainly made up of precious stones diamonds and non-monetary gold.
Road transportation accounted for 23.5% with petroleum oils, fruit and nuts and fish recording the highest values via this respective mode of transport.
In terms of volume, a total of 339 294 tons of goods left the country, representing an increase of 16.2% and a decrease of 11% when compared to the months of October 2023 and November 2022, respectively.
The month of November 2023 recorded 171 055 tons of goods having left the country by sea compared to 143 497 tons registered in October 2023. This represents an increase of 19.2% month-on-month and a decrease of 14.3% year-on-year.
A total of 168 095 tons left the country by road in the month of November 2023, indicating an increase of 13.3% and a decrease of 7.3% when compared to the number of tons recorded in the preceding month and in November 2022, respectively.
Finally, 88 tons of goods were exported via air during the month under review. This is an increase of 57.3% and a decrease of 36.9 % when compared to the tons recorded in the previous month and November 2022, respectively.
Imports by road were valued at N$7.8 billion, representing 49.2% of all goods imported into the country. Inorganic chemical elements, motor vehicles for the transportation of goods and Medicaments were the commodities with the highest value imported via this mode of transport.
Sea transport followed in second place accounting for 47.5% of all goods imported into the country and its basket comprised mainly of petroleum oils. Finally, 3.3% of total goods imported reached Namibia via air with non-electrical machinery, telecommunications equipment and printed matter being the main commodities transported via air.
