Economy

China biggest electrical appliance supplier to Argentina

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-16 14:45

BUENOS AIRES: China was Argentina's main supplier of electrical appliances in 2009, accounting for 35.8 percent of the South American country's yearly imports, a Sectorial Economic Investigations Institute (IIES) report said Monday.

Brazil was behind China by accounting for 31.8 percent of Argentina's 2009 imports of electrical appliances, the institute added in the report.

Overall, however, Argentina's 2009 imports dropped by 38.7 percent to a total of US$549.5 million, while its exports decreased by 42.1 percent compared with 2008 to a total of 76.2 million dollars.

But the South American country enjoyed a trade surplus of 473.3 million dollars in 2009.

The IIES said that imports had dropped considerably regarding such products as audio equipment, DVD recorders and players, refrigerators and freezers, and television sets, with drops of 35.8 percent, 36.7 percent, 21 percent and 43.8 percent, respectively.

Mexico was Argentina's third main supplier of electrical appliances by accounting for 7.7 percent of Argentina's 2009 imports.

Chile, Italy, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey and the United States also sold electrical appliances to Argentina in 2009, but took up market shares of less than 4 percent each.

Export-wise, Argentina sold 29.8 percent of its products to its neighbor Brazil in 2009, while Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile bought 14.8 percent, 10.7 percent and 9.1 percent of Argentine exports, respectively.

Outside South America, Italy and Spain were big buyers of Argentine products. Italy accounted for 7.8 percent and Spain for 5.4 percent of Argentine exports.