External trade in ICT goods (discontinued), 2003

In the period 1996 to 2001 exports and imports of ICT goods increased by 10.5 and 8.9 per cent respectively. Exports and imports of traditional commodities* increased by 7 and 5.4 per cent in the same period. From 2001 to 2002 exports and imports of ICT goods decreased by 20.5 and 13.7 per cent. In 2003 the trade with ICT goods were about the same as in 2002. For the whole period 1996 to 2003 exports of ICT goods and traditional commodities have increased accordingly. Correspondingly the imports of ICT goods have increased by 32.3 per cent form 1996 to 2003 while imports of traditional commodities increased by 256 per cent.

* Exports of traditional commodities : all commodities excluding ships , oil platforms , crude oil , natural gas and condensates .

Imports of traditional commodities : all commodities exclusive of ships and oil platforms .

Exports dominated by telecommunications equipment

From 1996 to 2003 exports of ICT goods were dominated by telecommunication equipment. In 2003 these goods constituted 36.8 per cent of the entire export of ICT goods, or NOK 4.4 billion. Accordingly computers have been the dominating import group of the ICT goods. In 2003, imports of computers amounted to 40.1 per cent of the total imports by ICT goods, or NOK 12 billion. Of the six product groups defined as ICT goods, only measurement- and control equipment had an exports surplus for the last three years. The export surplus for this product group amounted to NOK 143 million in 2003. This represented a decrease of 213 million from year before.

Greatest exports from Oslo and Akershus

By shipment of ICT goods the source county are registered by exports and the customhouse by imports. Based on these register dates, exports and imports of ICT goods are distributed by part of county. Exports of ICT goods from Oslo and Akershus amounted to NOK 3.9 billion in 2003, and that was more than in any other parts of the country. Correspondingly exports from Østfold, Buskerud, Vestfold and Telemark amounted to NOK 3.3 billion. Exports from Hedmark and Oppland amounted to NOK 55 million and was lowest among the parts of the country. Accordingly to exports from different parts of the country, commodities produced in foreign countries and transit goods are registered together with commodities with unknown source. Together these exports amounted to NOK 2.5 billion in 2003. By imports of ICT goods only customhouse are registered and therefore it is impossible to know were the goods ends. Of the total imports of ICT goods 81.6 per cent were registered in Oslo and Akershus.

In the publication " Nordic Information Society Statistics " figures for exports and imports of ICT goods are available for the period 1996-2001.

Delimitations

This article is based on a delimitation drawn up by the national statistical offices in Denmark , Finland , Iceland , Sweden and Norway . The delimitation includes the product groups telecommunications equipment , consumer electronics , computers , electronic components , office machines and measurement - and control equipment and are described in greater detail in " About the statistics ." Exports and imports of software are not included in the delimitation . Preliminary figures from the External trade in goods constitute the foundation for the article . All figures in current prices .

Tables:

• Table 1 Exports and imports of ICT goods. 1996-2003. NOK million
• Table 2 External trade in million NOK 1996-2003. Index. 1996 = 100
• Table 3 The export-import ratio of ICT goods. 1996-2003. Per cent
• Table 4 Exports and imports of ICT goods as a proportion of total external trade. 1996-2003. NOK million
• Table 5 Exports of ICT goods, by part of the country. 2001-2003. NOK million
• Table 6 Imports of ICT goods, by part of the country. 2001-2003. NOK million