grew at double-digit rates last February driven by the better performance of primary (19.1%) and
(15.2%) shipments, compared to the figure registered in the same month of 2020, the Central Reserve Bank (BCR) reported on Wednesday.
In the case of
traditional exports, shipments worth US$3.026 billion were registered. This advance was explained by higher mining product prices.
Thus, these shipments registered a positive variation for the sixth month in a row, the issuing entity detailed.
The BCR explained that —in the second month of 2021— fishing and mining exports grew 218.1% and 14.6%, respectively, maintaining the dynamism of the previous month.
Between January and February 2021, traditional exports accumulated US$6.156 billion, which represented an increase of 18.1%, a rate higher than that registered in the same period of the previous year, reflecting the increase in export prices.
On the other hand, the export prices of traditional products increased 28.6% annually in February, which was explained by higher prices of metals and fishmeal.
In the first two months of 2021, traditional sector prices grew 25.4% compared to the same period the previous year.
Non-traditional
The BCR reported that
non-traditional exports amounted to US$1.167 billion in February. This advance was explained by higher shipped volumes (10.2%).
Thus, non-traditional foreign sales accumulated seven consecutive months of expansion, it added.
In the first two months of the year, non-traditional exports grew 11.1% to a cumulative amount of US$2.467 billion.
Only in the second month of 2021, there were higher sales of fresh grapes (47.9%), fresh mangoes (4.5%), and frozen squid (24.7%), among other products, compared to the same month of the previous year.
During the accumulated period (January-February), these same products registered growths of 27.7%, 2.5%, and 23.4%, respectively.