Date: 02 Mar 2000
Time: 07:46:48
Remote Name: 156.29.145.175
Thu Mar 2 02:01:53 2000
Copyright 2000 Janet Matthews Information Services Quest Economics Database Middle East Economic Digest
March 3, 2000
SECTION: News; Statistics; Pg. 23
LENGTH: 177 words
HEADLINE: IRAN
BODY: External accounts show big surpluses
The trade balance and current account are heading for healthy surpluses, according to data released by Bank Markazi (central bank). Total external debt was down to $ 11,688 million in September, Markazi's data for the first half of 1999/00 shows.
Oil exports earned $ 6,964 million in the first half of the year, which started on 21 March, with total exports providing a hard currency income of $ 8,666 million. Imports were limited to $ 6,201 million, helping to produce a trade surplus of $ 2,465 million.
The current account was in surplus by $ 2,116 million, compared with a deficit of a similar amount for the whole of the previous year.
Oil prices have continued to rise in the second half of the Iranian year, indicating that surpluses over the full year should be the biggest since 1996/97. Copyright: EMAP Business International Ltd. All rights reserved. EMAP Business International Ltd and JMIS assume no liability for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement.
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