The Department of Statistics and Research announces that it prepared foreign trade statistics in summary form for the period January-February 1999.

The main developments in Cyprus foreign trade during January-February 1999 as compared with January-February 1998 were:

(a) Total imports (covering imports for home consumption and imports placed into bonded warehouses) totalled £244,7 mn as compared with £304,3 mn in January-February 1998.

(b) Total exports were £69,8 mn in relation to £99,8 mn in January-February 1998.

(c) As a result of the above developments the trade deficit accounted for £174,9 mn compared to £204,5 mn in January-February 1998.

(d) Imports for home consumption were £210,2 mn in January-February 1999 and £250,3mn in January-February 1998.

(e) The EU countries supplied Cyprus with goods valued at £139,1 mn or 56,8% of the total imports as compared with £150,5 mn or 49,5% during January-February 1998.

(f) Intermediate inputs imported for home consumption during January-February 1999 were £84,1 mn or 40,0% as against £101,4 mn or 40,5% in January-February 1998, followed by consumer goods with £51,9 mn or 24,7% as against £59,2 mn or 23,6%; transport equipment amounted to £32,4 mn or 15,4% compared to £32,5 mn or 13,0% and capital goods accounted for £29,6 mn or 14,1% as compared with £27,7 mn or 11,1% in January-February 1998.

(g) Domestic exports including shipstores, fell to £29,0 mn in January-February 1999 from £36,9 mn in January-February 1998 whilst re-exports, including shipstores, amounted to £40,9 mn compared to £62,8 mn in January-February 1998.

(h) The EU countries absorbed 53,9% or £15,3 mn of Cyprus domestic exports (excluding shipstores) as compared with £21,7 mn or 57,9% in January-February 1998, followed by the Arab countries with a share of 27,1% or £7,8 mn as compared with 25,2% or £9,4 mn in January-February 1998.

(i) Industrial products of domestic produce exported during January-February 1999, excluding shipstores, accounted for 80,1% or £22,7 mn as compared with 68,7% or £25,7 mn, during Janaury-February 1998, with clothing and footwear accounting for £3,4 mn and £0,9 mn respectively, whilst exports of clothing during January-February 1998 totalled £4,6 mn and of footwear £1,4 mn. Exports of raw agricultural products dropped to £5,3 mn in January-February 1999 from £10,5 mn in Janaury-February 1998, with potatoes accounting for £0,5mn compared to £3,8 mn and citrus fruit for £3,7 mn and £5,1 mn in January-February 1999 and 1998 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.