Imports rose in December, while customs revenue fell

While Maldives recorded a 27 percent increase in imports in December 2022, customs revenue declined by two percent.

The monthly statistics released by Maldives Customs Service on Tuesday show Maldives imported MVR 5.6 billion in commodities in December 2022. The figure is 27 percent increase compared to the MVR 4.4 billion in imports in December 2021.

Meanwhile, Maldives generated MVR 356 million in customs revenue in December 2022 – a two percent decline compared to the MVR 364 million in customs revenue generated in December 2021.

Customs collected MVR 1.2 million in royalties.

14 percent of the MVR 5.6 billion in commodities imported in December 2022 were from France.

TOP IMPORTING COUNTRIES:

• France: MVR 766 million (14 percent)
• Oman: MVR 754 million (13 percent)
• India: MVR 724 million (13 percent)
• Singapore: MVR 694 million (12 percent)
• China: MVR 532 million (9 percent)

Meanwhile, Maldives exported MVR 299 million in commodities in December 2022. The figure is 35 percent higher than the exports in December 2021.

66 percent of the commodities were exported to Thailand.

TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES:

• Thailand: MVR 199 million (66 percent)
• Germany: MVR 20 million (7 percent)
• UK: MVR 14 million (5 percent)
• USA: MVR 9 million (3 percent)
• Mauritius: MVR 21 million (12 percent)
• France: MVR 9 million (3 percent)

The exports in December 2022 included MVR 188 million in frozen skipjack or stripe-bellied bonito, MVR 35 million in skipjack tuna, and MVR 17 million in yellowfin tuna.