International trade statistics

1. Major exports:  
   Oil, natural gas, Manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
   1. Dollar value
      468.8 billion (2006)  (1)
   2. Trends
      Oil Production: 2.075 m bbl/day (2004)
      Oil Consumption: 1.827 m bbl/day (2004)
      Oil exports: 1.956 bbl/day (2004)
      
      gas Production:95.97  billion cu m (2004)
      gas Consumption: 98.47 billion cu m (2004)
      gas exports: 9.8 billion cu m (2004)  (1)
2. Major imports
   manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
   1. Dollar value
      $ 603 billion  (2006) (1)
   2. Trends
      Oil Imports: 1.654 bbl/day (2004)
      gas Imports: 12.3 billion cu m (2004)  (1)
3. Balance-of-payments situation
   1. Surplus or deficit
      $-71.1 billion (2004) (4)
4. Exchange rates
   1. Single or multiple exchange rates
      0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002)
   2. Current rate of exchange
      British pounds per US dollar - 0.5418 (2006)  (1)

Trade restrictions

1. Embargoes
   Economic freedom 3.15%  (3)
   European Union: liberal foreign trade policy (4)
2. Import Taxes
   Goods and services 32.7%
   Property: 11.9%
   Worker: 29.7%  (3)
   Consumer expenditure VAT 17.5% (19)
3. Licensing
   12,781 (18)
4. Customs duties
   European Union Free circulation
   Non European: 4.2% on general
   Textile, clothing, food processing: 17.3% (4)
   Motor fuel, alcohol, tobacco, betting and vehicles (1)

Extent of economic activity not included in cash income activities

1. Counter trades
   1. Products generally offered for counter trading
      Arms, plans
   2. Types of counter trades requests (i.e. barter, counter purchase, etc.)
      Barter
2. Foreign aid received
   None, ODA, $10.7 billion (2005) (1)

Labor force

1. Size
   31.1 million (2006) (1)
2. Unemployment rates
3. 2.9% (2006 est.) (1)

Inflation rates
3 % (2006) (1)