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

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

(a) Total imports (covering imports for home consumption and imports placed into bonded warehouses) totalled £156,5 mn as compared with £159,3 mn in January 1997.

(b) Total exports were £53,7 mn in relation to £51,7 mn in January 1997,

(c) As a result of the above developments the trade deficit accounted for £102,8 mn compared to £107,1 mn in January 1997,

(d) Imports for home consumption were £126,3 mn in January 1998 and £127,1 mn in January 1997.

(e) The EU countries supplied Cyprus with goods valued at £76,6 mn or 49,0% of the total imports as compared with £70,2 mn or 44,1% during January 1997.

(f) Intermediate inputs imported for home consumption during January 1998 were £54,1 mn or 42,9% as against £47,4 mn or 37,3% in January 1997, followed by consumer goods with £29,1 mn or 23,0% as against £23,0 mn or 18,1%; transport equipment amounted to £16,0 mn or 12,7% compared to £13,4 mn or 10,6%. and capital goods accounted for £15,4 mn or 12,2% as compared with £14,3 mn or 11,2% in January 1997.

(g) Domestic exports including shipstores, fell to £17,9 mn in January 1998 from £20,2 mn in January 1997 whilst re-exports including shipstores, amounted to £35,8 mn compared to £31,5 mn in January 1997.

(h) The EU countries absorbed 61,3% or £10,8 mn of Cyprus domestic exports (excluding shipstores) as compared with £9,9 mn or 58,9% in January 1997, followed by the Arab countries with a share of 20,6% or £3,6 mn as compared with 10,5% or £1,8 mn in January 1997.

(i) Industrial products of domestic produce exported during January 1998 (excluding shipstores) accounted for 65,1% or £11,4 mn as compared with 61,1% or £12,1 mn, during Janaury 1997, with clothing and footwear accounting for £2,1 mn and £0,6 mn respectively, whilst exports of clothing during January 1997 totalled £2,1 mn and of footwear £0,5 mn, Exports of raw agricultural products dropped to £6,0 mn in January 1998 from £7,6 mn in Janaury 1997, with potatoes accounting for £2,8 mn compared to £4,7mn and citrus fruit for £2,3 mn and £2,4 mn in January 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.