The most valuable Yemeni exports also include fresh fish, mollosks and other aquatic invertebrates. Dates, figs and melons represent another area where Yemen has show strength in international trade.
The following list shows on which product categories Yemeni exporters generated the most revenue. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level.
This can help entrepreneurs identify more precisely which products for which Yemen enjoys strong demand and competitive advantages compared with other nations. Innovation can transform these insights into lucrative business opportunities.
Yemen is somewhat of a laggard in global trade, ranking number 132 among the world’s major exporting countries.
Highest Value Yemeni Export Products
Below are the 20 highest value export products delivered to Yemen’s international customers in 2015. Shown within brackets is the change in value for each exported product since 2011.
- Crude oil: US$804 million (down -82.1% since 2011)
- Petroleum gases: $796.3 million (down -36.5%)
- Whole fish (fresh): $46.7 million (down -59.7%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $44.1 million (down -84.4%)
- Dates/figs/pineapples/mangoes/avocadoes/guavas: $19.6 million (down -2.8%)
- Onions, shallots, garlic, leeks: $19.6 million (up 8.3%)
- Whole fish (frozen): $18.7 million (down -46.6%)
- Mollusks: $17.2 million (down -77.9%)
- Bananas, plantains: $15.7 million (down -2.2%)
- Plastics waste, scrap: $12.8 million (up 15.6%)
- Coffee: $12.1 million (down -25.7%)
- Sheep/lamb rawhides, skins: $11.6 million (up 387,800%)
- Copper waste, scrap: $10.6 million (up 354,533%)
- Tea (including flavored): $9.3 million (down -31.7%)
- Bran, other residues: $9.2 million (down -58%)
- Miscellaneous fruits (fresh): $9.1 million (down -49.8%)
- Concentrated/sweetened milk, cream: $8.3 million (down -33.7%)
- Aquatic invertebrates (excluding crustaceans and mollusks): $7.9 million (up 445.4%)
- Iron or non-alloy steel bars, rods: $7.7 million (up 88.6%)
- Melons, watermelons, papayas: $7.5 million (up 169.6%)
Among these product categories, sheep or lamb rawhides posted the greatest increase in Yemeni export sales with a 387,800% gain in value from $3,000 in 2011 to $11.6 million during 2015.
In second place was exported copper waste and scrap which appreciated 354,533% over the same 5-year period.
Yemeni exports of aquatic invertebrates (excluding crustaceans and mollusks) showed a respectable gain in 2015 up 445.4% from 2011, followed by export sales of melons, watermelons and papayas up 169.6%.
Leading the decliners were refined petroleum oils (down -84.4%), crude oil (down -82.1%), mollusks (down -77.9%) and whole fresh fish (down -59.7%).
See also Yemen’s Top 10 Exports, Yemen’s Top 10 Imports and Highest Value Yemeni Imports
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on October 24, 2016
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on October 24, 2016
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on October 24, 2016