Population involved in husbandry and semi-husbandry is half of the total rural population. There is 8.5 million hectares of pastures. Nearly half of the grains and livestock are dependent upon import. The government issued decision on export activities in December 1990, making adjustment to the import and export trade system. Monopoly by state companies was changed and a new foreign trade system combining state companies, partnership enterprises and proprietorship came into being.
Foreign trade is largely the business of foreign trade companies at the national level.
When some commodities can be imported or exported by proprietors and partnership companies, oil, natural gas and chemical products are still exported by its national oil companies. Due to stringent foreign reserve control, proprietors can only import small amount of products. But recent years saw an increase in this area. Libya launches dual management of planning and license. The agency in charge is the secretariat for economic and trade committee, under which there is an import and export administration responsible for general planning on import and export and issuance of license.