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

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

(a) Total imports (covering imports for home consumption and imports placed into bonded warehouses) valued at £1.109,5 mn as compared with £1.113,8 mn in January-July 1997.

(b) Total exports were £364,9 mn in relation to £371,6 mn in January-July 1997.

(c) As a result of the above developments the trade deficit totalled £744,5 mn compared to £742,2 mn in January-July 1997.

(d) Imports for home consumption were £910,0 mn in January-July 1998 and £886,5 mn in January-July 1997.

(e) The EU countries supplied goods valued at £587,7 mn or 53,0% of the total imports as compared with £522,3 mn or 46,9% during January-July 1997.

(f) Intermediate inputs imported for home consumption during January-July 1998 were £361,5 mn or 39,7% as against £341,7 mn or 38,6% in January-July 1997, followed by consumer goods with £254,2 mn or 27,9% as against £205,6 mn or 23,2%; capital goods accounted for £110,8 mn or 12,2% as compared with £94,7 mn or 10,7% in January-July 1997 and transport equipment amounted to £108,4 mn or 11,9% compared to £90,4 mn or 10,2%.

(g) Domestic exports including shipstores, reached £153,2 mn in January-July 1998 in relation to £132,8 mn in January-July 1997, whilst re-exports including shipstores amounted to £211,7 mn compared to £238,8 mn in January-July 1997.

(h) The EU countries absorbed 57,4% or £84,9 mn of Cyprus domestic exports (excluding shipstores), followed by the Arab countries with a share of 23,7% or £35,0 mn. The corresponding shares of the EU countries and the Arab countries for January-July 1997 were 51,2% and 27,1% respectively.

(i) Industrial products of domestic produce exported during the first seven months of 1998 (excluding shipstores) accounted for 70,5% or £104,4 mn as compared with 77,5% or £100,2 mn, during the corresponding period of 1997, with clothing and footwear accounting for £17,1 mn and £6,0 mn respectively, whilst exports of clothing during January-July 1997 totalled £16,6 mn and of footwear £4,3 mn. Exports of agricultural products increased to £42,9 mn in January-July 1998 from £28,5 mn in January-July 1997, with potatoes accounting for £27,0 mn compared to £8,0 mn and citrus fruit for £10,9 mn and £14,3 mn in January-July 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.