E
chancery:
820 Second Avenue, Suite 800, New York, NY 10017
telephone:
(212) 599-6196 or 6197
FAX:
(212) 972-3970
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa
embassy:
5th floor, Beach Road, Apia
mailing address:
P.O. Box 3430, Apia
telephone:
(685) 21-631
FAX:
(685) 22-030
Flag:
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing
five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross
constellation

@Western Samoa, Economy

Overview:
Agriculture employs more than half of the labor force, contributes 50%
to GDP, and furnishes 90% of exports. The bulk of export earnings
comes from the sale of coconut oil and copra. The economy depends on
emigrant remittances and foreign aid to support a level of imports
much greater than export earnings. Tourism has become the most
important growth industry, and construction of the first international
hotel is under way. The economy continued to falter in 1993, as
remittances and tourist earnings fell off. A fungal plant disease
severely damaged the taro crop, the primary food and export crop.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $400 million (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
-4.3% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$2,000 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$95.3 million
expenditures:
$95.4 million, including capital expenditures of $41 million (1992
est.)
Exports:
$5.7 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
coconut oil and cream, taro, copra, cocoa
partners:
New Zealand 34%, American Samoa 21%, Germany 18%, Australia 11%
Imports:
$11.5 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities:
intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12%
partners:
New Zealand 37%, Australia 25%, Japan 11%, Fiji 9%
External debt:
$83 million (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate -0.3% (1992 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
29,000 kW
production:
45 million kWh
consumption per capita:
240 kWh (1990)
Industries:
timber, tourism, food processing, fishing
Agriculture:
accounts for about 50% of GDP; coconuts, fruit (including bananas,
taro, yams)
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $18 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF