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Dubai: Dubai's foodstuff trade reached Dh29.24 billion in 2007, growing 23.2 per cent over the previous year, a government agency said yesterday.
The figures released by the Statistics Department of Dubai World show that foodstuff imports form almost 70 per cent of this trade. Exports were 15.8 per cent and the share of re-exports was 14.6 per cent.
"The trade in foodstuff and consumer items in Dubai has grown steadily over the past five years," said Naseem Al Muhairi, acting manager of the statistics department.
"We have noticed through our periodical statistical monitoring of the trade movement that demand has increased as a natural result of population growth coupled with the economic boom and the development in construction and tourism activities, as well as the increase in investments in the tourism sector."
The volume of foodstuff trade increased by Dh5.5 billion to Dh29.24 billion in 2007, compared to 23.74 billion in 2006.
Imports amounted to Dh20.34 billion, while exports were around Dh4.6 billion and re-exports were Dh4.28 billion last year.
India remained Dubai's top foodstuff trading partner with trade valued at Dh3.73 billion in 2007. Iran was in second place with Dh2.16 billion.
Brazil, the US, Pakistan, Britain, Iraq, the Netherlands and Australia were the other major trading partners.
The volume of direct foreign non-oil trade, excluding free zone and customs warehouses, was around Dh425.4 billion in 2007 compared with Dh316.44 billion in 2006, representing an increase of 34 per cent increase.
The value of such trade through free zones was around Dh237.8 billion in 2007 compared with Dh193.7 billion in 2006.
The value of trade through customs warehouses was Dh15.3 billion in 2007 against Dh13.4 billion in 2006.
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