Andean Group - May 2015 (ISSN 1741-4466)

First trade deficit in more than a decade: According to Bolivia’s national statistics institute (INE), Bolivia registered its first trade deficit in eleven years in the first quarter of 2015. According to the INE, exports reached US$2.3bn, down 28% in value terms and 5% in volume terms year on year. Imports reached US$2.3bn, down by 2% in value terms. The main reason for the drop in exports was the fall in international commodity prices, particularly for hydrocarbons and minerals, which account for more than 80% of Bolivia’s exports. Hydrocarbons exports, which account for 53% of total exports, were down 30% year on year in value terms and 3% in volume terms. Bolivia’s main export markets in the first quarter were Brazil (which took 31% of Bolivia’s exports), Argentina (21%), the US (14%), Japan (5%) and Colombia (4%). Meanwhile Bolivia’s import suppliers were lead by China, which provided 18% of the first quarter total, followed by Brazil (16%), the US (10%), Argentina (9%) and Peru (6%).

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