Colombia posts $468.1 mln H1 trade surplus
Reuters, Friday, August 20, 1999 at 16:36
BOGOTA, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Colombia posted a $468.1 million
trade surplus in the first half of 1999 compared with a $1.82
billion deficit at the end of the same period last year, the
government's National Statistics Department (DANE) said Friday.
The improvement, as Colombia rose out one of its worst
recessions on record, came on the back of a 36 percent plunge
in imports, a DANE statement said.
Exports in the first half were down by just 5.1 percent
compared with January-June 1998, the government agency said.
It said the total value of imports stood at $4.74 billion
Free on Board (FOB) compared with $7.41 billion in the first
half of 1998.
The value of Colombian exports for the six-month period
totaled $5.21 billion compared with $5.49 billion a year ago,
DANE said.
DANE reported earlier this month that Colombia's export
revenues in the first half were dragged down by a steep 32.02
percent decline in shipments of coffee, the country's second
largest source of foreign exchange.
fax 571 610 7733, bogota.newsroom@reuters.com))
Copyright 1999, Reuters News Service
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