Overview: Economic development is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa does 90% of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector economy, with canned tuna the primary export. The tuna canneries are the second-largest employer, exceeded only by the government. Other economic activities include meat canning, handicrafts, dairy farming, and a slowly developing tourist industry. Tropical agricultural production provides little surplus for export.

GNP: $190 million, per capita $5,210; real growth rate NA% (1985)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1986)

Unemployment rate: 13.4% (1986)

Budget: revenues $87.46 million; expenditures $92.84 million, including capital expenditures of $3.4 million (FY86 est.)

Exports: $253.6 million (f.o.b., 1986); @m5commodities--canned tuna 89%, pet food 10%, fresh fish meal 0.5%, other 0.5%; @m5partners--US 99.6% (1981)

Imports: $313.2 million (c.i.f., 1986); @m5commodities--petroleum products 25%, food 20.3%, machines and motor vehicles 10%, building materials 5%, other 39.7%; @m5partners--US 75%, Japan 8.2%, NZ 8%, other 8.8% (1986)

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity: 35,000 kW capacity; 70 million kWh produced, 1,780 kWh per capita (1988)

Industries: tuna canneries (largely dependent on foreign supplies of raw tuna)

Agriculture: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas

Aid: $20.7 million in operational funds and $4.3 million in construction funds for capital improvement projects from the US Department of Interior (1987)

Currency: US currency is used

Exchange rates: US currency is used

Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September

NOTE: The information regarding American Samoa on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of American Samoa Economy 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about American Samoa Economy 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.