Exports ahead of imports

Press, 25 August 1988, Page 27

Exports ahead of imports

PA Wellington Merchandise exports for the month of July exceeded imports by $57.6 million, the Statistics Department said yesterday. The July, 1988, surplus compares with a deficit of 524.7 M for July, 1987. Preliminary merchandise exports were $1,003,800,000, a 5 per cent decrease compared with the month of July, 1987, when exports were valued at $1,056,700,000. Merchandise imports for July, 1988, were provisionally valued at $947.1M, a 12.4 per cent fall compared with July, 1987, for which imports were valued at $1,081,400,000. Significant commodities exported during the month were: meat and edible offal $194.5M, down 20.9 per cent from $245.8M in July, 1987; wool $104.0M, up 9.2 per cent from $95.2M; unwrought aluminium $29.8M, up 30.1 per cent

from $22.9M; milk and cream concentrated $36.0M, up 55.5 per cent from $23.2M; and fruit SBO.IM, down 12.6 per cent from $91.6M. The E.E.C. was still the main exporting destination taking $199.8M (19.9 per cent of total exports), down 23.8 per cent from $262.3M in 1987. This figure includes the United Kingdom with $65.5M (6.5 per cent), down' 41.3 per cent from $11.5M and Belgium $39.2M (3.9 per cent), up 17.3 per centi

Significant commodities imported during the month (with July, 1987 comparative figures in brackets) were.— Vehicles $128.3M ($151.1M), down 15.1 per cent; boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances $124.9M ($153.8M), down 18.8 per cent; electrical machinery and equipment $83.8M ($102.8M), down 18.4 per cent; and mineral fuels $47.9M ($41.2M).