The 2009 Import and Export Market for Thyme, Saffron, and Bay Leaves in Africa

On the demand side, exporters and strategic planners approaching the market in Africa face a number of questions. Which countries are supplying thyme, saffron, and bay leaves to Africa? What is the dollar value of these imports? How much do the imports of thyme, saffron, and bay leaves vary from one country to another in Africa? Do exporters serving the market in Africa have similar market shares across the importing countries? On the supply side, Africa also sells to the international market of thyme, saffron, and bay leaves. Which countries in Africa supply the most exports of thyme, saffron, and bay leaves? Which countries are buying their exports? What is the value of these exports and which countries are the largest buyers? This report was created for strategic planners, international marketing executives and import/export managers who are concerned with the market for thyme, saffron, and bay leaves in Africa. With the globalization of this market, managers can no longer be contented with a local view. Nor can managers be contented with out-of-date statistics that appear several years after the fact. I have developed a methodology, based on macroeconomic and trade models, to estimate the market for thyme, saffron, and bay leaves for those countries serving Africa via exports or supplying from Africa via imports. We do so for the current year based on a variety of key historical indicators and econometric models.