The Department of Statistics and Research announces that it prepared foreign trade statistics in summary form for the period January - February, 1998.

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

(a) Total imports (covering imports for home consumption and imports placed into bonded warehouses) totalled £304,3 mn as compared with £278,9 mn in January - February 1997.

(b) Total exports were £100.9 mn in relation to £98,4 mn in January - February 1997,

(c) As a result of the above developments the trade deficit accounted for £203,4 mn compared to £180,5 mn in January 1997,

(d) Imports for home consumption were £250,3 mn in January - February 1998 and £222,7 mn in January - February 1997.

(e) The EU countries supplied Cyprus with goods valued at £150,5 mn or 49,5% of the total imports as compared with £135,0 mn or 48,4% during January - February 1997.

(f) Intermediate inputs imported for home consumption during January - February 1998 were £101.4 mn or 40,5% as against £94,2 mn or 42,3% in January - February 1997, followed by consumer goods with £59,2 mn or 23,6% as against £44,0 mn or 19,8%; transport equipment amounted to £32,5 mn or 13,0% compared to £23.1 mn or 10,4%. and capital goods accounted for £27.7 mn or 11.1% as compared with £24,3 mn or 10,9% in January - February 1997.

(g) Domestic exports including shipstores, were £38,3 mn in January - February 1998 and £38,2 mn in January - February 1997 whilst re-exports including shipstores, amounted to £62,7 mn compared to £60,2 mn in January - February 1997.

(h) The EU countries absorbed 21,7% or £57,9 mn of Cyprus domestic exports (excluding shipstores) as compared with £19,6 mn or 56,2% in January - February 1997, followed by the Arab countries with a share of 25.2% or £9.4 mn as compared with 22,8% or £8,0 mn in January - February 1997.

(i) Industrial products of domestic produce exported during the first two months of 1998 (excluding shipstores) accounted for 68,7% or £25,7 mn as compared with 73,3% or £25,6 mn, during the corresponding period 1997, with clothing and footwear accounting for £4,6 mn and £1,4 mn respectively, whilst exports of clothing during January - February 1997 totalled £4,6 mn and of footwear £1,2 mn, Exports of raw agricultural products valued at £11,5 mn in January - February 1998 and £11,7 mn in January - February 1997, with potatoes accounting for £5,0 mn compared to £4,9mn and citrus fruit for £5,1 mn and £5,5 mn in January - February 1998 and 1997 respectively.

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.