FOREIGN TRADE

 EXPORTS IN VENEZUELA.
Venezuela has a market economy and export-oriented industry has a huge revolving around foreign trade.

While Venezuela exports mainly revolve around oil and its derivatives, is due to the import of inputs and outputs that moves most of the national economy.

To maintain the flow of this large number of products, the country has an extensive infrastructure (ports, airports, customs) as well as companies and professionals which ensure the logistics related to imports, exports and related activities. 

MAIN EXPORT PRODUCTS

Venezuela's main exports are oil and its derivatives, as well as iron, steel, aluminum, coal, chemicals and other basic industries. Its main trading partners are the United States, Colombia, United Kingdom, Netherlands Antilles, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Canada, France and Spain. Trade has increased with the member countries of the Andean Community of Nations Community and Common Market (CARICOM), the Central American Common Market (CACM) and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR).

  

IMPORTS IN VENEZUELA.

The Venezuelan consumer is characterized by being loyal to brands they consume, especially as far as food is concerned. That is why we are willing to travel several shops to get the flour, rice or coffee of your choice.

Perhaps what many of them do not know is that these products are no longer national, so to speak, 100% native because now largely made with raw material purchased in third countries.

The deterioration of the productive apparatus, product shortly policy focused on growth of domestic agriculture, has resulted in the country has become more dependent on imports than it was a decade ago.

While Venezuela has depended on imported inputs from those due to climatic or topographic not grown in the country, such as wheat, it is also true that those who until today they even exported are imported, mostly, by the Venezuelan state.Figures from the Central Bank of Venezuela show that in the first quarter of 2012 imports grew 64% public, resulting in an expense of $ 2.8 million.

Between 1997 and 2009, total imports represented an average state 16.3% of total foreign purchases and in 2011 accounted for 35%.
Imports have focused primarily in the area of ​​food, mainly in areas such as milk powder, sugar, poultry and beef, rice, corn and coffee.
Thus foreign foods became part of the daily menu of Venezuelans.
Despite the efforts of private producers, in 2011 the national agriculture fell for the third consecutive year. The climate, price controls and shortages of inputs formed a noxious cocktail for production. That led to increase, in some cases, foreign purchases of agricultural commodities. That is the case of white maize.
Maize production last year stood at 1 million 315 thousand tons, of which 789,000 were white maize, the main input for the development of the arepa.
The processing industry demand precooked year 1 million 400 thousand tons of grain about. Of that, 53.54% is contributed by domestic production and 46.46% is supplied through imports.
The Food Minister Carlos Osorio said that is not imported white corn right now, but says that if necessary they will shop. However, the industry says it is necessary to import right now, as there is very little domestic production. Even in Puerto Cabello indicate that there are boats with cereal.
The supply of yellow corn, however, depends largely on foreign markets, the ratio is 78.98% versus 21.04% imported Local.
In coffee supply is almost on par. The raw material for the production of traditional aromatic drink is imported 46.94%. It is according to figures from the private sector, industry and the National Institute of Statistics, a year ago, the national coffee supply feedstock was 82% domestic and 18% imported.
In 2011 the national coffee production was lower than estimated. Were obtained only 800,000 quintals of grain of 1 million 850 thousand a year industry demand.
The ingredients of the pavilion main planted Creole, a large proportion are still imported.
The 53.75% of the rice consumed in the country is purchased abroad, 70% of black beans too. In meat, the gap between the domestic and abroad declined in 2011. The benefit of endogenous meat (raised in Venezuela) increased to 64% while imports are 36%. It is noteworthy that after the amendment of the official exchange rate, imports of meat lost attraction, causing it to fall foreign product offering.
Analysts believe that as long as resources through oil revenues will be food security, but that policy as well as being unsustainable over time is harmful to the production system.