Dar Es Salaam — TANZANIA exported goods worth 4,983.8 million US dollars for the year ended May, 2010, representing a rise of 11.8 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2009.

In its reported for May 2010, the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) attributed the surge to increased prices and volume of gold sold abroad. It said that gold accounted for 45 per cent the total exports.

The month of May falls in the low season for most of the traditional exports. Accordingly, the value of traditional exports shipped in May 2010 was USD 12.4 million, being 40.8 per cent lower than the value recorded in the preceding month.

The value of traditional exports declined to USD 449.1 million in the year ending May 2010, compared to USD 479.1 million recorded in the corresponding period in 2009, due to a decline in both export volumes and unit prices of coffee, cotton and cloves.

However, exports of tobacco continued to increase over the past three years. Non-traditional exports increased to USD 2,631.0 million in the year ending May 2010, compared with USD 2,119.7 million recorded during the preceding year due to increase in gold exports.

The value of gold exports went up by 67.7 per cent to USD 1,399.6 million, following a rise in the export volumes and prices in the world market.

Available statistics indicate that export volume of gold increased to 39.5 tonnes from 28.8 tonnes recorded in the preceding year, partly on account of commencement of export by the Buzwagi Gold Mine in June 2009, while the prices of gold increased to USD 1,067.4 per troy ounce compared with USD 868.9 per troy ounce recorded in the year ending May 2009.

On the other hand, the values of manufactured goods and re -exports were USD 579.5 million and USD 109.2 million, being lower than USD 645.5 million and USD 118.2 million recorded during the preceding year.