According to Uruguay’s “Observer” report, according to statistics released by the Uruguay Wool Bureau, in the past year as of the end of February 2009, Uruguay’s sheep product exports were US$282.6 million, a year-on-year decrease of 11%. China remains the main destination for wool exports.
Experts from the Uruguay Wool Bureau said that although the overall export of sheep products continues to decline, the overall export of high value-added products has increased. In the past year, the export of wool fabrics, clothing, wool, carpets and other manufactured products increased by 9.2%, while the export of primary wool products such as tops, scoured wool and dirty wool decreased by 23%.
Among high value-added wool products, wool exports increased by 4.2%, mainly exported to the United States (accounting for 75.8%). Wool fabric exports increased by 3.8%, mainly exported to Brazil. Wool clothing exports increased by 26%, mainly exported to Argentina (accounting for 42.2%). Export volumes of blankets and carpets fell by 54% and 97% respectively.
Among the exports of sheep products, the export of wool and its products accounted for 72.7%, with an export value of US$205.5 million, a year-on-year decrease of 17.9%. The export value of mutton was US$69 million, which has shown an upward trend in recent months, with an increase of 35.8%. Sheepskin exports amounted to US$3.6 million, an increase of 35.4%. The export value of live sheep was US$4.2 million, a decrease of 68.6%.
Exports of wool and its products (dirty wool, scoured wool, tops) were 47,200 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 30.3%. In the product composition, tops account for 69.8%, dirty wool accounts for 16.8%, and washed wool accounts for 13.4%. Among them, the export of tops dropped by 20.8%, the export of dirty wool dropped by 47.4%, and the export of washed wool dropped by 42.7%.
The export value of wool and its products (dirty wool, scoured wool, tops) was US$152 million, a year-on-year decrease of 24.3%. China is the main importer of Uruguay wool (accounting for 42.9% of the total), and its exports decreased by 25.3% year-on-year.
In the past year, China imported 89.4% of Uruguayan dirty wool, 57.7% of scouring wool, and 31.8% of tops.
