NEWS RELEASE
EXTERNAL TRADE BULLETIN
March 2007

June 14, 2007

The March 2007 External Trade Bulletin released by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica reveals that Jamaica’s expenditure on imports of goods during  the first quarter of the year amounted to US$1,491.4 million. This represented an increase of US$93.0 million or 6.6 per cent when compared to the same period of 2006.
Total exports during this period were valued at US$530.4 million compared to the US$ 492.0 million recorded for the same 2006 period. The trade deficit the end of the January to March 2007 period was US$961.0 million, compared to the US$906.4 million recorded for the first three months of 2006.
 
Import of the commodity group “Mineral Fuels, etcetera” was valued at US$401.4 million, “Machinery and Transport Equipment” US$326.1 million, “Chemicals” US$184.6 million, “Food” US$182.2 million, and “Manufactured Goods” US$171.8 million.

Domestic Exports at the first quarter of 2007 were valued at US$517.2 million or 7.5 per cent above the comparable of 2006. Re-exports for the period amounted to US$13.2 million of which “Machinery and Transport Equipment” accounted for US$8.9 million.

Traditional domestic export valued at US$345.5 million, improved by US$2.2 million over the fist quarter of 2006. Exports of non-traditional items earned US$171.7 million, growing by US$33.9 million or 24.6 per cent over the comparable period of 2006.

The Mach 2007 External Trade Bulletin outlines additional information and may be obtained at our Distribution Office, Cecelio Avenue Kingston 10