ports in its turn is more of a reflection of forei m exchange shortages experienced by many countries in the re :rion. With growth in external resource inflows held down to 4 ;)er cent to $18.9 billion in 1981 in current terms because of reduced poten­ tial of concessionary assistance and escalating interest rates, many countries ran dcwn their external reserves at ur."Jrecedented pace while sane others responded by 1 oweri ng their imports or using foreign exchange more selectively. In 1981 and 1982 the fall in reserves was estimated at around $17.8 billion with the drain most noticed iri the rna jor oil exporters. Central to these developments however is the prevailing recession in the OECD group stifling demand fer and contributing to the v1eakening of the prices of the region.'s products. Although oil prices were generally higher in 1981 than in 1980 they however weakened towards the end of the year and subsequently fell during the course of 1982. On the other hand, commodity and mineral prices took a sharp down turn in 1981 -copper prices fallinc by 20 per cent, cotton by 10 per cent, coffee by 20 per cent, ~~gar by 41 per cent, tobacco by 11 per cent and metals as a grour by 18 per cent. The external situation was further aggravated t 1 mounting debt repayments. Debt repayment as a proportion of export of goods and services for developing Africa reached 12 per cent in 1980. For some countries like Algeria, the I\ory Coast, Morocco and Zambia this ratio exceeded 24 per cent. 7. The deterioration in the external situation affected the fiscal position and investment and its utilization. With the major portion of government revenue traditionally ernaratinq from foreign trade sources, the recent developmer·t.s in this sector 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the economic situation of developing countries in a specific region, focusing on the decline of external resource inflows, foreign exchange shortages, and the impact on their fiscal position, investment, and utilization. The text also mentions the decline of commodity and mineral prices, debt repayment, and the effects on government revenue. These themes suggest that the category should be related to economic development and international trade.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade