Colombia exports up 51.9 percent in first 2 months this year

Colombian exports soared 51.9 percent in the first two months this year over the same period in 2007, the National Department of Statistics (Dane) announced Saturday.

Exports during this period were valued at $5.7 billion, and in February alone total sales abroad grew by 48.8 percent.

According to the statistics department, between January and February 2007 exports amounted to $3.7 billion.

The "country's exporting dynamic was driven mainly be a 74.8 percent increase in the exports of traditional products, basically in the sales of crude oil and its derivatives," Dane said.

Non-traditional exports showed a 32.7 percent increase that stemmed chiefly from greater sales of clothing and chemical products.

According to Dane, the biggest contribution to the export surge came from products sold to the United States, which racked up a 48.2 percent increase, boosted mainly by sales of fuels, mineral oils and their by-products.

Dane also reported that during the first two months of 2008, Colombia's trade balance showed an overall surplus of $42.6 million.

The biggest surpluses were with Venezuela, the United States, Ecuador and Belgium.

In the case of Venezuela the surplus reached more than $732 million, while with the United States the amount was $295.1 million.

The trade surplus with Ecuador was $76 million and with Belgium more than $69 million. EFE

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