Total merchandise trade for the whole year of 1997 increased by 15.5 percent to $61.164 billion from $52.970 billion in 1996. Export earnings rose by 22.8 percent to $25.228 billion from $20.543 while imports went up by 10.8 percent to $35.936 billion from $32.427 billion. The 12-month resulting balance of trade in goods (BOT-G) decreased by 9.9 percent to $10.708 billion from $11.884 billion last year.

Total trade from January to October 1997 grew by 15.7 percent to $50.689 billion from $43.807 billion in 1996. Merchandise exports brought in $20.689 billion, up by 23.1 percent from $16.810 billion, while import payments amounted to $30.001 billion, increasing by 11.1 percent from $26.997 billion the previous year. The balance of trade in goods (BOT-G) reached a $9.312 billion deficit level, which was 8.6 percent lower than $10.187 billion in 1996.

Merchandise trade for the first eight months grew by 16.0 percent to $39.809 billion, an increase of $5.491 billion from $34.318 billion a year earlier. Payments for imported goods went up by 11.8 percent to $23.784 billion from $21.268 billion while receipts from exports increased by 22.8 percent to $16.025 billion from $13.050 billion. The balance of trade in goods (BOT-G) deficit narrowed down by 5.6 percent to $7.759 billion from $8.218 billion in 1996.