The main developments in Cyprus Foreign Trade during January-April 1999 as compared with January-April 1998 were:

(a) Total imports (covering imports for home consumption and imports placed into bonded warehouses) totalled £600,1 mn as compared with £630,3 mn in January-April 1998. Total exports fell to £153,6 mn in relation to £197,5 mn in January-April 1998. The trade deficit accounted for £446,5 mn compared to £432,8 mn in January-April 1998.

(b) Imports for home consumption were £498,9 mn in January-April 1999 and £513,0 mn in January-April 1998. Intermediate inputs imported for home consumption valued at £189,8 mn or 38,1% followed by consumer goods with £148,5 mn or 29,8%, capital goods with £62,5 mn or 12,5% in January-April 1998 and transport equipment with £62,0 mn or 12,4%.

(c) Domestic exports fell to £68,3 mn as compared with £74,1 mn in January-April 1998 whilst re-exports were reduced considerably to £85,3 mn compared to £123,3 mn in January-April 1998. Industrial products of domestic produce exported during the first four months of 1999 accounted for £50,2 or 75,2% as compared with £55,6 mn or 76,7% during the corresponding period of 1998, with clothing accounting for £7,0 mn compared to £8,7 mn in January-April 1998, pharmaceutical products £7,8 mn as against £6,3 mn, cigarettes £4,1 mn compared to £4,2 mn alcoholic beverages £2,5 mn as compared with £2,3 mn and footwear £1,7 mn as against £3,3 mn. Exports of raw agricultural products in January-April 1999 valued at £15,9 mn and £16,7 mn for January-April 1998, with potatoes accounting for £4,0 mn compared to £4,4 mn and citrus fruit for £9,4 mn in January-April 1999 compared to £9,6 mn in January-April 1998.

(d) The EU countries supplied Cyprus with goods valued at £335,5 mn or 55,9% during January-April, 1999. During the same period last year the EU countries absorbed 54,2% or £36,2 mn of Cyprus domestic exports followed by the Arab countries with 23,6% or £15,8 mn.

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.