The Department of Statistics and Research announces that it prepared foreign trade statistics in summary form for the year 1998.

The main developments in Cyprus foreign trade during 1998 as compared with 1997 were:

(a) Total imports (covering imports for home consumption and imports placed into bonded warehouses) valued at £1.904,7 mn as compared with £1.899,3 mn in 1997.

(b) Total exports decreased to £551,1 mn in relation to £640,0 mn in 1997.

(c) As a result of the above developments the trade deficit widened to reach £1.353,6 mn compared to £1.259,3 mn in 1997.

(d) Imports for home consumption were £1.580,4 mn in 1998 and £1.482,5 mn in 1997.

(e) The EU countries supplied goods valued at £1.042,5 mn or 54,7% of the total imports as compared with £903,2 mn or 47,6% during 1997.

(f) Intermediate inputs imported for home consumption during 1998 were £627,0 mn or 39,7% as against £568,7 mn or 38,4% in 1997, followed by consumer goods with £446,7 mn or 28,3% as against £368,5 mn or 24,9%; capital goods increased to £201,7 mn or 12,8% as compared with £162,4 mn or 11,0% in 1997 and transport equipment amounted to £182,9 mn or 11,6% compared to £149,3 mn or 10,1%.

(g) Domestic exports including shipstores, reached £221,3 mn in 1998 in relation to £219,8 mn in 1997, whilst re-exports including shipstores decreased sharply to £329,8 mn compared to £420,3 mn in 1997.

(h) The EU countries absorbed in 1998 52,4% or £111,6 mn of Cyprus domestic exports (excluding shipstores), as compared with 49,4% or £105,5 mn in 1997 followed by the Arab countries with 26,9% or £57,3 mn in 1998 compared to 28,8% or £61,5 mn in 1997.

(i) Industrial products of domestic produce exported during 1998 (excluding shipstores) accounted for £171,1 mn or 80,3% as compared with £176,3 mn or 82,6% in 1997, with clothing and footwear accounting for £29,0 mn and £8,4 mn respectively, whilst exports of clothing in 1997 totalled £29,9 mn and of footwear £8,0 mn. Exports of agricultural products increased by 12,8% to £40,5 mn as compared with £35,9 mn in 1997 with the potatoes accounting for £19,0 mn compared to £8,4 mn and citrus fruit dropped to £12,7 mn from £17,3 mn in 1997 .

Additional data on Cyprus foreign trade are shown in the quarterly publication entitled "Imports-Exports Statistics" obtainable from the Government Printing Office while more detailed statistics on the same field are available from the Department of Statistics and Research.