Agoa.info - African Growth and Opportunity Act
TRALAC - Trade Law Centre
You are here: Home/News/Article/Cameroon: AGOA Concerned With Environmental Problems

Cameroon: AGOA Concerned With Environmental Problems

Published date:
Saturday, 28 February 2004

Last year South African exports to the US rose to a record level of about $4,9-billion, the South African Chamber of Business (Sacob) reports.

Precious metals and stones and automobiles, parts and accessories together accounting for 56% of this total.

SAThe top ten export product groups reportedly continued to account for 84% of total exports to the US up from 78% in 1994.

Sacob also said that exports have grown 145% since 1994 with the most dramatic step up coming in 2000 and 2001 with the advent of the Agoa, which has been a significant stimulant for exports with Agoa exports now accounting for 20% of exports compared with 11% in 2002 and 9% in 2001.

Exports under the general system of preferences (GSP) accounted for 14%, 13% and 11% respectively for the same period.

Exports entering the US using preferential access now account for 34% of all exports compared with 31% in 2002, 20% in 2001 and 14% in 2000.

“It is interesting to note that after dipping with the introduction of the Agoa exports under GSP have recovered and continue to grow,” said Sacob, in a report.

Precious and semi-precious stones and metals were reportedly South Africa’s biggest export product to the US in 2003, and every year since 1994, thanks largely to platinum and diamonds, which made up 64% and 32% respectively of all exports in this group.

The next largest contributors were jewellery (2%) and coins (2%), where the metals and stones group constitutes 41% of all South African exports to the US.

After rising dramatically in 2000, Sacob said exports seem to have levelled off and average around $1,9-billion a year.

Vehicles, parts and accessories exports have grown from $19-million in 1994 to $776-million in 2003, and exports in 2003 were 35% higher than in 2002.

Exports of cars constituted 80% of this category of exports.

However, Sacob said that with the continued strength of the rand eroding margins it is possible that exports in this sector may consolidate and even decrease during 2004.

While iron and steel exports were up slightly in 2003, compared with 2002, they are reportedly well below the figures for 2000, primarily as a result of ongoing restrictions imposed by the US.

Ferroalloys, for instance, were up 17% in 2003 from 2003.

Ores, slag and ash experienced a 7,7% decrease in value of exports mainly attributable to reduced value of ash and residues, and niobium, tantalum and vanadium group exports.

Regarding machinery and mechanical exports, the value of this category in 2003 was down 17% when compared with 2002 reflecting a continuing downward trend after peaking in 2001.



“AGOA Latest AGOA Trade Data on AGOA.info

Click here to view a sector profile of South Africa’s bilateral trade with the United States, disaggregated by total exports and imports, AGOA exports and GSP exports.



Other regularly updated trade statistics on AGOA.info include:

  • AGOA-beneficiary Countries’ AGOA and GSP Trade Aggregates

  • AGOA Trade by Industry Sector

  • Apparel Trade under AGOA’s Wearing Apparel Provisions

  • Latest Apparel Quotas under AGOA

  • Bilateral Trade Data for all AGOA-eligible countries individually.

  • You are here: Home/News/Article/Cameroon: AGOA Concerned With Environmental Problems