UK biggest importer of Norwegian goods

The United Kingdom was the biggest importer of traditional Norwegian exports from January to October. The export value totalled NOK 19.2 billion, a 22 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

Exports of traditional commodities to Europe were 7.2 per cent higher in January-October than during the same period last year. Fish, animal feed, machinery and transport equipment made up the bulk of the increase in exports to the UK. Exports to Russia were, on the other hand, 11 per cent lower than in January-October last year, and amounted to NOK 1.7 billion.

Exports to Asia have also fallen. The decline was 5.2 per cent compared to the first 10 months of last year. Exports to Japan fell by 7.7 per cent, while those to Thailand plummeted 40 per cent. Exports to these two countries amounted to NOK 4.8 billion and NOK 460 million respectively in January-October. On the other hand, exports to South Korea increased by 36 per cent to NOK 1.6 billion, with industrial machines and technical instruments accounting for much of the increase.

With its 11.5 per cent increase South America accounted for the largest relative increase in exports from January to October 1997 to the first 10 months of this year. Exports to Colombia nearly tripled during this period.

External trade in commodities, October 1998.
The statistics are published every month in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics and Monthly Bulletin of External Trade and are available on the Internet on http://www.ssb.no. Detailed figures are available from Customer Services, External Trade, tel. +47 21 09 47 52/53. For more information, contact: Lars.Andreas.Lunde@ssbb.no, tel. +47 21 09 47 13.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 47, 1998