In the second quarter of 2002 A.C. of the Basque Country exports
amounted to 2,887.8 million euros and imports reached 2,456.8 million euros,
according to Eustat data. These data, in relation to data from the same period
the previous year, reflect an 8.5% decrease for exports and a 9.1% fall in imports.
Non-energy exports amounted to 6.2% in the second quarter and non-energy imports
fell by 10.1%.
The balance for the period January-June 2002 registered
5,648.6 million euros in exports and 4,883.9 in imports, which is the equivalent
of a 5.5% reduction for the former and 3.1% for the latter. Exports of non-energy
products fell by 3.8%, and non-energy imports dropped by 3.7%. The total
volume of transactions fell from 11,013 million euros in the first semester
of 2001 to 10,532.5 million in the first six months of the year, a 4.4% reduction.
The trade surplus for the first semester came to 764.7
million euros, compared with 935.9 million the previous year and, consequently,
the rate of coverage of exports over imports fell from 118.6% in 2001 to 115.7%
this year. Referring exclusively to transactions of non-energy products, there
was practically the same level of coverage as the year before (141.4% in 2001
and 141.1% in 2002).
By geographic destination areas, a negative evolution
in exports to the whole of the OECD area can be seen (- 4.4%), with decreases
both to the European Union (-4.6%) and the other countries (-3.6%) in this organization.
Exports to the European Union only increased to the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland,
Greece and Finland. There was also outstanding growth (+24.2%) in exports to
the group of countries that are candidates to join the European Union. Imports
from the OECD also fell OECD (-0.6%), although there was a slight increase in
imports from the EU (+1.5%). Imports from the rest of the OECD countries fell
(-11.4%).
From the sectorial point of view we may observe a fall
back in exports for the two most important customs duty groups by volume: Capital
goods (-3.2%) and Metals and manufactured (-9.3%), also affecting
the reduction in all other groups, except Other manufactured.
With regard to imports, Capital goods rose (+4.3%) and
Metals and manufactured fell (-11.1%).
The results for the three provinces of the A.C. of the
Basque Country show considerable differences in the evolution of total exports.
There was a 13.7% decrease in Alava, as a result of the fall in Transport
material (-16.7%), Metals and manufactured (-18.1%) and Electric
Material (-18.8%). There was also a slightly lower decrease, 2.7%, in
Bizkaia and 1.1% in Gipuzkoa where Capital goods developed positively
by 8.9% and 3.6% respectively. Imports increased in Álava (+10.8%), and
decreased in Bizkaia (-3.9%) and above all Gipuzkoa (-10.6%).