External trade in goods, indices of volume and price, Q4 2006

Import prices of crude materials showed an increase of 42.7 per cent from the fourth quarter in 2005 to the fourth quarter in 2006. For the largest subgroup, metalliferous ores, the import prise rose with as much as 63.9 per cent. The price development for the dominating products is in accordance with the London Metal Exchange. Prices of iron and steel increased by 18.5 per cent and other metals by 29.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2006 compared with the fourth quarter of 2005. Import prices of electrical machinery and machinery for special industries increased by 9.4 and 9.8 per cent, respectively.

Comparing the last two quarters, the import prices of goods excluding ships and oil platforms increased by 4.8 per cent from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of 2006.

Increased imports of machinery

The import volume of goods excluding ships and oil platforms increased by 11.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2006 compared with the same quarter in 2005. The import volume increased for machinery for special industries, up 18.5 per cent, data processing machinery/equipment up 31.2 per cent, telecommunication apparatus rising 27.5 per cent and road vehicles up 16.3 per cent. Other groups with rising import prices from the fourth quarter of 2005 were non-ferrous metals, up 7.2 per cent and inorganic chemicals products, up 40.8 per cent.

Adjusted for seasonality, figures for import volume of goods excluding ships and oil platforms show an increase of 6.1 per cent from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of 2006, while there was a decrease in the third quarter by 2.2 per cent.

Exports: Increased prices for manufactured goods

The strong rise in export prices of manufactured goods, 16.2 per cent, contributed considerably to the increased prices of exports excluding ships and oil platforms, up 5.4 per cent, in the fourth quarter of 2006 compared with the fourth quarter of 2005. Export prices of the overall largest group, mineral fuels, increased by only 2.2 per cent. Among manufactured goods, export prices of non-ferrous metals and plastics in primary forms increased the most, by 59.5 and 12.0 per cent respectively.

In the fourth quarter of 2006, export prices of goods excluding crude oil, natural gas, condensates, ships and oil platforms decreased by 1.4 per cent compared with the third quarter of 2006. Through all the quarters in 2005 and the three first quarters of 2006 these prices were rising.

Higher exports of manufactured goods

The export volume of goods excluding crude oil, natural gas, condensates, ships and oil platforms increased by 8.4 per cent from the fourth quarter of 2005 to the fourth quarter of 2006. The export volume was higher for machinery for particular industries, up 41.1 per cent, data processing equipment, up 34.1 per cent and telecommunication apparatus, up 20.4 per cent.

The unadjusted export volume of goods excluding crude oil, natural gas, condensates, ships and oil platforms increased by 13.5 per cent from the third to the fourth quarter of 2006, while the decrease in the third quarter was 1.7 per cent.

Adjusted for seasonality, figures for export volume of goods excluding crude oil, natural gas, condensates, ships and oil platforms increased by 2.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2006 compared with the third quarter last year.