Abu Dhabi: The UAE experienced a nine per cent growth in non-oil trade during the first half of 2010 compared to the same period last year, new data from the Federal Customs Authority revealed Wednesday.
Non-oil trade rose to Dh351.9 billion in the first half of this year while exports experienced growth of 32 per cent during the same period.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Acting Director General of the Federal Customs Authority, said the rate of growth was "a positive indicator of the success of the policy of economic diversification pursued by the leadership of the UAE".
In terms of imports, the UAE dealt mostly with India, China, the United States, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Italy, Saudi Arabia and France.
The main commodities imported up to June included motor vehicles, telephone sets and gold.
The foreign trade of the UAE with Arab countries in terms of value reached Dh8.9 billion.
The Federal Customs Authority said in a statement yesterday: "Saudi Arabia was the leading Arab state in terms of non-oil trade with the UAE last June followed by Sudan, Iraq, Libya, Oman, Kuwait, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Lebanon, Syria, Morocco, Algeria, Somalia, Tunisia, Mauritania, Djibouti, Palestine and The Comoros Islands."
Recovery
Eckart Woertz, Director of Economic Studies at the Gulf Research Centre, said: "When it comes to total trade, it has been mainly exports that have grown; not so much imports. This shows that the UAE as a trade hub has been able to capitalise on the recovery in trade after the global financial crisis."
Imports grew 3 per cent during the same period to Dh231.03 billion by the end of June from Dh224.04 billion during the first half of 2009.
Exports grew 32 per cent during the comparison period.
As a result, their value increased from Dh28.76 billion in the first half of 2009 to Dh37.95 billion in the first half of 2010.
Re-exports grew by 17 per cent during this period to Dh82.92 billion, up from Dh70.91 billion.
Dubai Dubai Customs seized 335 intellectual property rights (IPR) infringements in Dubai Customs ports during the first half of the year.
Around 16 per cent of the seizures were Japanese frauds, equivalent to 54 violations for Japanese brands.
Ahmad Butti Ahmad, Executive Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and the Director-General of Dubai Customs, emphasised the importance of the economic and business relationship with Japan and the keenness of the UAE to protect intellectual property rights of world-renowned trademarks from piracy. He said the Customs Administration is considerably taking this matter as among its top priorities.
Ahmad Butti addressed a seminar attended by businessmen and Japanese lawyers in which he explained that Dubai Customs gives too much attention to IPR within the priorities and objectives of the fifth Strategic Plan 2007-11.
He said, "These efforts have interestingly contributed to attracting many brand owners to the UAE, especially Dubai occupies the third place after London and Tokyo in respect of increasing based numbers of firms and brand owners."
Foreign trade
The UAE has been the top re-exporter of rice over the last five years, the Ministry of Foreign Trade revealed yesterday.
The study showed the value of rice re-exported from the UAE reached $519 million (Dh1.9 billion) in 2009, a 93 per cent share of global rice re-exports.
The United States came in second place with $11.5 million (Dh42.2 million), 2.1 per cent of the overall global re-export of the commodity. Hong Kong accounted for two per cent of the global total ($11 million, Dh40.4 million).
