PRESS RELEASE
EXTERNAL TRADE BULLETIN
January to May 2006

September 20, 2006
The January to May 2006 External Trade Bulletin released by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica reveals that imports for the first five months of 2006 were valued at US$2,149.9 million. This represents an increase of 12.9 percent when compared to the same period in 2005.Total exports earned US$827.1 million, an increase of 29.0 percent or US$185.8 million over the comparable 2005 period. The trade deficit at the end of the review period grew by US$60.6 million to US$1,322.8 million.

The category “Minerals Fuels etcetera” accounted for the largest share of total expenditure on imports moving from US$535.5 million in the 2005 period to US$703.6 million in the 2006 period. In the other areas ‘Machinery and Transport Equipment’ accounted for US$410.7 million), “Chemicals” (US$ 254.0 million) “Food” (US$254.1 million) and “Manufactured Goods” (US$246.8 million),

Domestic Exports grew by 28.8 percent to US$811.6 million. The major group was “Crude Materials (excl. Fuels)” worth US$491.9. Re-exports for the period amounted to US$15.5 million, moving from US$11.4 million recorded in the comparable period of 2005.
 
Earnings from traditional domestic exports grew by US$54.0 million to US$578.2 million due to growth in all of the commodity groups. Non-traditional domestic exports grew by US127.7 million to US$233.4 million.

The External Trade Bulletin for January to May 2006 further outlines additional information and may be obtained at our distribution centre located at 7 Cecelio Avenue Kingston 10.