Domestic exports up in July

Domestic exports rose by Lm12.4 million in July, to Lm69.9 million, from Lm57.5 million in the same month last year, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

Re-exports increased by Lm2.3 million, to Lm11.8 million, from Lm9.5 million in the same period.

Total imports were up by Lm8 million, or 7.5 per cent, to Lm114.4 million, from Lm106.4 million, in the same month last year.

Imports of industrial supplies increased by Lm8.1 million to Lm59 million. At Lm19.7 million, imports of capital goods dropped by Lm2.4 million from Lm22.1 million.

In the same month, the importation of consumer goods reached Lm26.1 million, marginally up when compared with the same month last year. Fuel imports were up by Lm1.9 million to Lm9.6 million.

The NSO said that in the seven-month period to July, the visible trade gap contracted by Lm17.8 million, to Lm193 million, from Lm210.8 million in the same period last year.

In that seven-month period, total imports were down by Lm32.9 million, or 4.4 per cent, to Lm711.2 million, from Lm744.1 million in the first seven months last year.

In the period under review, total exports dropped by Lm15.1 million or 2.8 per cent to Lm518.2 million from Lm533.3 million.

While domestic exports declined by Lm35.6 million, to Lm447.5 million, re-exports increased by Lm20.5 million to Lm70.7 million, the NSO said.