Turning now to external trade, for the first 7 months of the year, imports were down, and exports were up - which reduces the trade imbalance. Here a few key areas that went up, and down:
Tiffany Vasquez - Statistician II
"For the period January to July 2017 Belize's imports were valued at 1.05 billion dollars, this is a decrease of 5.3 percent or 59 million when compared to January to July of 2016. Falling imports within the category of machinery and transport equipment was the primary cause of the overall decline in imports. That category dropped by almost a quarter or 212 million to 68 million the periods most significant offset came from the importation of mineral fuels and lubricants as higher prices on the world market drove that category up by 21 percent. Total domestic exports for the period January to July 2017 was valued at 304.7 million this is an increase of 16.4 percent or 42.9 million. Accounting to over a third of Belize's domestic exports, sugar remains the country's most significant export earner having a 37 percent increase in exported volume higher prices particularly on the European market drove earnings for that commodity up by 61 percent. Belize's banana exports performed well growing by 11 percent or 4.7 million to 46.7 million.
