GUS report says exports are growing more rapidly than imports this year

The Central Statistical Office (GUS) has announced that in the first four months of the year, exports increased by 11.5% compared with last year, and totalled $9.7 billion. Imports totalled $15.4 billion, an increase of 9.4% over last year. The foreign-trade deficit has now reached $5.7 billion, up by $400 million over 1999. "The positive news is that the deficit is not growing as rapidly as last year and we believe the deficit will stop growing," said GUS deputy president Janusz Witkowski. He also added that the volume of trade with the European Union (EU) was lower than in 1999 at $2.6 billion. The National Bank of Poland (NBP) says exports reached $8.4 billion, 8.4% lower than last year, and imports increased by 2% to $13.3 billion. (Prawo i Gospodarka, page 1, 2) M.M.