The value of imports of goods increased by 23.9 percent over a year earlier to $332.3 billion in January 2013, after a year-on-year increase of 11.9 percent in December 2012. A visible trade deficit of $27.5 billion, equivalent to 8.3 percent of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in January 2013.
Comparing the three-month period ending January 2013 with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of total exports of goods rose by 8.6 percent. Within this total, the value of re-exports increased by 8.8 percent, whereas the value of domestic exports went down by 1.6 percent. Meanwhile, the value of imports of goods increased by 4.3 percent.
Comparing January 2013 with January 2012, increases were registered in the values of total exports of most principal commodity divisions, in particular "electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof" (by $15.8 billion or 23.6 percent), "telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment" (by $12.1 billion or 25.0 percent) and "miscellaneous manufactured articles (mainly baby carriages, toys, games and sporting goods)" (by $2.8 billion or 15.3 percent).