ATHENS: The rise in exports continued in November, coming to 4.2 percent on a monthly basis or 11.1 percent not including fuel products. This was the fourth consecutive month with a rise in the value of exports, which has reduced to just 2.1 percent the total decline on an annual basis recorded in the first 11 months of 2016.
Data analyzed by the Panhellenic Exporters’ Association showed that the total value of exports came to 2.21 billion euros in November, up from 2.12 billion euros in October. The sum of exports in the year to end-November came to 23.1 billion euros against 23.6 billion in the first 11 months of 2015.
Exporters’ association sources say that the figures collected make it possible that a new exports record could be recorded in 2016 for a second year in a row, when the December figures come in too.
At the same time, an improvement of the climate in commerce has also resulted in the rise of imports, which increased 2.9 percent in November from October 2016 and taking the rise of 2016 (in the January-to-November period) to 0.5 percent, or 6.4 percent not including fuel products.
Consequently the country’s trade deficit expanded by 4.3 percent year-on-year to 16.9 billion euros including fuel, or by 11.8 percent excluding fuel products.
