Comoros

Location : Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Capital : Moroni

Languages : Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)

Area : 2,170 sq km

Land Use : arable land: 5.07%; permanent crops: 1.03%; other: 93.91% (2001)

Population : 671,247 (July 2005 est.).

Labour force : 144,500 (1996 est.)

Labour force participation rate : 21.53% of population (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line : 60% (2002 est.)

International Organisation participation : ACCT, ACP, AFDB, AMF, AU, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO

GDP per capita : U$700 (2002 est.)

GDP Real Growth Rate : 2% (2002 est.)

GDP sectoral composition : agriculture: 40%; industry: 4%; services: 56% (2001 est.)

Industries: tourism, perfume distillation

Industrial production growth rate : -2% (1999 est.)

Agriculture - products : vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)

Exports : U$28 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities : vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra

Exports - partners : US 42.2%, France 18%, Singapore 16%, Turkey 4.7% (2004)

Imports : U $88 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities : rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment

Imports - partners : France 24.4%, South Africa 11.5%, UAE 7.3%, Kenya 6.1%, Italy 5.1%, Mauritius 4.8%, Singapore 4.2% (2004)

QUALITATIVE TRADE PROFILE

The maximum tariff rate of the Union of Comoros is 40 percent. The economy is still very much dependent on customs for revenue, with these revenues accounting for almost half of government revenue. The primary reasons for this are due to the monocultural nature of the Comoros economy. The primary sector of economic activity is ag riculture, and specifically vanilla cultivation, which employs more than 80% of the population and accounts for virtually all foreign exchange earnings. There are no quantitative restrictions.

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK 

The EPA negotiating mandate requires Comoros to establish a National Development and Trade Policy Forum. This is meant to be a forum for public-private multi-sector discussion to determine the best development and trade negotiating positions for Comoros and to prepare briefs outlining these positions. These briefs would then form the basis of the Comoros representations in the Regional Negotiating Forum to create an ESA position.

TRADE AGREEMENTS

Bilateral

Comoros ' bilateral relations have not yet been determined.

Regional

Comoros is a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), the Regional Integration Facilitation Forum (RIFF), the Cross-Border Initiative (CBI) and the Organization of African Unity (OAU)/African Economic Community (AEC). Comoros has made no request to be considered under the United States' African Growth and Economic Opportunity (AGOA) scheme. Comoros is currently negotiating an Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU through the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) configuration

Multilateral

Comoros is not a member of the WTO.

 NEED PRIORITIES

Comoros ' priorities are in relation to its participation in the COMESA Free Trade Area, ESA EPA negotiations, and the accession process to the WTO. Lack of financial and human resources will compound the difficulties for Comoros. Source: World Fact Book