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

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

(a) Total imports (covering imports for home consumption and imports placed into bonded warehouses) valued at £1.565,5 mn as compared with £1.592,1 mn in January-October 1997.

(b) Total exports decreased to £475,3 mn in relation to £542,6 mn in January-October 1997.

(c) As a result of the above developments the trade deficit reached £1.090,2 mn compared to £1.049,5 mn in January-October 1997.

(d) Imports for home consumption were £1.291,8 mn in January-October 1998 and £1.247,1 mn in January-October 1997.

(e) The EU countries supplied goods valued at £845,6 mn or 54,0% of the total imports as compared with £743,1 mn or 46,7% during January-October 1997.

(f) Intermediate inputs imported for home consumption during January-October 1998 were £504,3 mn or 39,0% as against £473,8 mn or 38,0% in January-October 1997, followed by consumer goods with £366,0 mn or 28,3% as against £300,9 mn or 24,1%; capital goods increased to £166,8 mn or 12,9% as compared with £134,8 mn or 10,8% in January-October 1997 and transport equipment amounted to £150,6 mn or 11,7% compared to £125,2 mn or 10,0%.

(g) Domestic exports including shipstores, reached £188,6 mn in January-October 1998 in relation to £182,3 mn in January-October 1997, whilst re-exports including shipstores decreased sharply to £286,7 mn compared to £360,3 mn in January-October 1997.

(h) The EU countries absorbed 53,8% or £97,5 mn of Cyprus domestic exports (excluding shipstores), followed by the Arab countries with a share of 26,3% or £47,6 mn. The corresponding shares of the EU countries and the Arab countries for January-October 1997 were 57,2% and 23,7% respectively.

(i) Industrial products of domestic produce exported during January-October of 1998 (excluding shipstores) accounted for 78,9% or £142,9 mn as compared with 81,9% or £145,1 mn, during the corresponding period of 1997, with clothing and footwear accounting for £24,8 mn and £7,4 mn respectively, whilst exports of clothing during January-October 1997 totalled £25,3 mn and of footwear £6,0 mn. Exports of agricultural products increased by 19,7% to £37,1 mn as compared with £31,0 mn in January-October 1997 with the potatoes accounting for £18,6 mn compared to £8,0 mn and citrus fruit for £10,9 mn and £14,6 mn in January-October 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.