In December, the index remained unchanged for manufactured goods (except food, beverages, and tobacco), rose by 2.9% for food, beverages, and tobacco, and declined by 10.2% for crude materials (except fuels) and 15.5% for fuels compared to December 2022.

However, the overall export volume index saw a 1.6% increase compared to the corresponding month of the preceding year. Notably, the index rose by 5.0% for food, beverages, and tobacco, increased by 31.9% for fuels, and decreased by 2.5% for manufactured goods (except food, beverages, and tobacco).

On the import side, the overall import unit value index decreased by 6.5% in December compared to the corresponding month of the previous year. This decrease was observed across various categories, including a 4.5% decrease for food, beverages, and tobacco, and a 22.4% decrease for fuels.

Similarly, the overall import volume index experienced a 4.8% decrease in December compared to the same month of the preceding year. However, there were increases in certain categories, such as a 2.2% increase for food, beverages, and tobacco, and an 8.2% increase for crude materials (except fuels).

The calendar and seasonally adjusted export volume index saw a notable increase of 6.5%, reaching 162.1 in December 2023. Meanwhile, the calendar and seasonally adjusted import volume index experienced a slight decrease of 0.6%, reaching 122.6 in the same month.

Furthermore, the terms of trade, calculated by dividing the export unit value index by the import unit value index and multiplying by 100, increased from 82.4 in December 2022 to 87.0 in December 2023, reflecting a positive trend in trade balance. (ILKHA)