Zimbabwe and Their Cotton

In 2008, Zimbabwe’s top five partners where South Africa, Botswana, China, United States, and Mozambique. South Africa had $1,758,936,124 in imports and $711,266,692 in exports adding up to a total trade of $2,470,202,816. Botswana had $214,847,522 in imports and $157,027,414 in exports with Zimbabwe that added up to $371,874,936 in total trade. China had $138,061,370 in imports and $37,464,053 in exports adding up to a total trade of $175,525,423. The United States had a total trade of $134,365,813 with $113,581,555 being imports and $20,784,258 being exports. Finally Mozambique imported $81,677,697 and exported $41,056,216 with Zimbabwe.

Looking at 2013 the top five partners are South Africa, United Kingdom, China, Zambia, and Mozambique.  South Africa is still the top trading partner with a total trade of $6,272,488,432. This is triple the amount in 2008. China and Mozambique have also kept there same positions as in 2008 as well. China increased by $294,064,029 mostly coming from an increase in imports and slight decrease in exports. Mozambique increased their total trade by $447,345,349. This has occurred by increasing dramatically in exports and in imports.

In 2008, Zimbabwe top three imports are 87-Vehicles other than railway, tramway ($445,261,203), 27-Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products ($320,200,249), and 84-Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery, etc. ($299,918,432). This changed slightly in 2013 with the top three exports being are 27-Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products ($1,617,409,026), 31-Fertilizers ($1,077,043,118), and 87-Vehicles other than railway, tramway ($717,486,569).

The top three exports of 2008 are 06-Live trees, plants, bulbs, roots, cut flow ($185,804,873), 75-Nickel and articles thereof ($166,277,671), and 52-Cotton ($146,382,852). Exports dramatically changed in 2013 with the top three exports being 71-Pearls, precious stones, metals, coins, etc. ($969,600,419), 24-Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitute ($904,099,466), and 75-Nickel and articles thereof ($450,740,496). Only commodity 75 stayed in the top three exports. Commodity 06 completely vanished from the top 20 commodities in 2013 and cotton decrease by $27,034,473. 

From the two pictures below there are commodities Zimbabwe does not imported or exported in 2013. Other commodities that disappeared on the top twenty commodities of 2013 are the following: 99-Commodities not specified according to kin; 28-Inorganic chemicals, precious metal compou; 40-Rubber & articles thereof; 25-Salt, sulphur, earth, stone, plaster, lime; 90-Optical, photo, technical, medical, etc. ap; 49-Printed books, newspapers, pictures, etc.; and 06-Live trees, plants, bulbs, roots, cut flow.

2008 Trade Composition

2013 Trade Composition

In 2008 Zimbabwe had exported the commodity 52-Cotton to the following top five countries: Botswana, South Africa, Singapore, Thailand, and China. The top five countries had a total export value on the commodity as the following respectively: $46,902,297; $22,859,509; $22,631,943; $13,327,573; and $12,582,942. The export for 52-Cotton seemed not to be popular with Singapore, Thailand, and China anymore due to the fact they are not even in the top five partners in 2013. The 2013 top five partners in the export of 52-Cotton are the following: South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, and Germany. Their total export value are respectively the following amounts: $108,785,098; $8,175,817; $1,926,912; $458,765; and $1,782. South Africa has been the only of the top exporting partners of cotton to increase the amount of export value of $85,925,589. Just looking at the total export value total for 52-Cotton in 2008 and 2013. There is an 81.5% decrease in the export value of cotton. In 2008 the total export value was $146,382,852 and in 2013 it decreased to $119,348,379.

Sources:

http://www.sas.com/software/visual-analytics/demos/un-comtrade-basic.html