Economy, Foreign Trade

Madagascar usually has a negative trade balance. In 2000 imports were valued at $660 million and exports at $250 million. Food such as vanilla, shrimp, lobster, coffee, and cloves accounted for 36 percent of export revenue in 1999. Other important exports were cotton fabrics, refined petroleum, sugar, and chromium. Leading imports were chemical products, crude petroleum, machinery, vehicles and vehicle parts, and electrical equipment. France is by far the leading trading partner, accounting for nearly 30 percent of Madagascar’s trading activity. Other significant purchasers of the country’s exports are the United States, Germany, Japan, and Italy; chief sources of imports in addition to France are Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States.