Total imports in March this year reached Lm110.4 million, Lm8.8 million more when compared to March 2005, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.
The importation of industrial supplies increased by Lm2.6 million to Lm52.1 million, while imports of capital goods also went up by Lm5.1 million from Lm18.1 million to Lm23.2 million. An increase of Lm2.0 million was registered in imports of consumer goods while, on the other hand, fuel imports dropped by Lm0.9 million to Lm4.8 million.
In the month under review, total exports show a rise of Lm15.8 million to Lm83.0 million from Lm67.2 million reported in March of the previous year.
Total imports for the period January-March 2006 increased by Lm34.1 million or 11.7 per cent to Lm326.1 million from Lm292.0 million for the same period of last year.
Imports of industrial supplies increased by Lm10.7 million or 7.7 per cent to Lm150.3 million. Meanwhile, the importation of capital goods also went up to Lm63.9 million, representing an increase of Lm13.4 million or 26.5 per cent.
Consumer goods imports also increased by Lm6.8 million which is an 8.9 per cent increase over the Lm76.1 million figure of last year, while an increase of Lm3.2 million or 12.4 per cent was registered in fuel and lubricants imports.
In the period under review, total exports went up by Lm30.2 million to Lm216.7 million, representing a 16.2 per cent increase from Lm186.5 million of the same period of 2005.
During March 2006, the visible trade gap narrowed by Lm7.0 million to Lm27.4 million from Lm34.4 million of the same month of 2005, with the overall visible trade gap for the first three months of this year widening by Lm3.9 million to Lm109.4 million from Lm105.5 million reported in the period January-March 2005. During the first three months of 2006, arrivals from the European Union amounted to Lm212.0 million, making up 65.0 per cent of total imports recorded. The main trading EU partners were Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany and France with Lm87.4 million, Lm31.6 million, Lm28.8 million and Lm24.0 million respectively.
Imports from Asia totalled Lm52.6 million, or 16.1 per cent of total imports, with Singapore registering Lm13.2 million followed by Japan with Lm8.9 million and China with Lm6.6 million.
Figures indicate imports of Lm29.8 million from North and Central American countries and Lm17.1 million from other European Countries.
Total dispatches to the European Union for the period January-March 2006 amounted to Lm106.2 million, representing 49.0 per cent of total exports.
France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy with Lm31.8 million, Lm28.5 million, Lm21.0 million and Lm7.6 million respectively were the four main trading partners within the European Union.
Exports to Asia stood at Lm62.7 million, or 28.9 per cent, while those to North and Central America reached Lm33.0 million, accounting to 15.2 per cent.