CROATIA'S IMPORT IN FIRST 11 MONTHS OF 1998 DROPS BY 2.8%

ZAGREB, Jan 4 (Hina) - Croatia's import from January through November 1998 reached US$7.78 billion, 2.8 percent less than in the same period in 1997, while export totalled US$4.19 billion, i.e. 8.9 percent more than in 1997, the Croatian State Bureau of Statistics reported on Monday. The import of goods from countries of the European Union (EU) was in the said period cut by 2.8 percent, reaching US$4.6 billion, while Croatia's export to the EU market rose by 2.3 percent, reaching US$1.98 billion. Import from Germany totalled US$1.5 billion, 5.9 percent less than in 1997, while export reached US$711.4 million, an increase of 2.3 percent. Import from Italy amounted to US$1.4 billion, 7.6 percent less than in 1997, while export totalled US$731.2 million, 0.4 percent less than in 1997. From Macedonia, Croatia imported US$53.04 million worth of goods, which is 43.3 percent more than in the first 11 months of 1997, while export reached US$58.4 billion, a drop of 17.4 percent. Import from neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina rose by 16.7 percent, reaching US$144.1 million, while export totalled US$604.5 million, a 0.7 percent increase. Import from north-western neighbour Slovenia reached US$676.6 million, two percent less than in the first 11 months of 1997, while Croatia's export totalled US$399.1 million, a drop of 15.7 percent. Import from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia amounted to US$18.1 million, while Croatia's export to that market totalled US$13.9 million. (hina) ha