CROATIAN COMMODITY IMPORTS UP 17% AND EXPORTS 1.1% ( Editorial: --> 6897 )

( Editorial: --> 6897 ) ZAGREB, Oct 30 (Hina) - Croatia's commodity exports in the first nine months of this year amounted to US$ 3.26 billion, or 1.1% more than in the same period last year. Imports reached US$ 6.39 billion, or 17% more than in the same period last year, the State Bureau of Statistics said in a statement on Thursday. At the same time, Croatian exports into European Union countries amounted to US$ 1.70 billion, or 1.8 percent more than in the same period in 1996. Goods worth US$ 3.77 billion were imported into Croatia from EU countries, exceeding last year's imports by 16.3 percent. Italy and Germany remain Croatia's most important trade partners. (hina) lm 301658 MET oct 97