In 2004, CNMI’s garment exports value reported a total of $826 million. This figure went down to $650.8 million in 2005, $486.5 million in 2006 and $307.57 million in 2007.
With the closure of the island’s garment factories, the export value plunged to $98.21 million last year.
The island’s imports followed a downward trend for the same five-year period.
Imports reached 666.40 total tonnage in thousands in 2004.
This volume slightly dropped to 605.50 in 2005.
The figure went lower still to 540.20 in 2006, 439.44 in 2007, and finally to 356.35 thousand tons last year.
Petroleum, oil and lubricant products topped the island’s imports for the five-year period, the highest of which was in 2004 with 202.40 thousands in tons.
Last year’s imports in petroleum, oil and lubricants were the lowest, posting only 145.31.
The 2008 data showed that the food items category was the island’s second highest in imports, with 49.36 thousand tons.
This was followed by cement, with 21.31 thousand tons in imports. The island imported the highest volume of cement in 2007 — 27.15 thousand tons.
The CNMI imported 20.31 thousand tons in beverages last year, followed by construction materials with 16.86 thousand tons, and the garment category with 12.48 thousand tons for the year.
The category under “others” posted total imports of 90.74 for 2008.
Imports for the second quarter of 2008 went up for all categories, except beverages and imports classified under “others.”
