Egyptian imports equal $17 billion

Official Egyptian economic statistics asserted that Cairo imported during 1999 an estimated at $17 billion, while its exports last year did not exceed $4.5 billion, which caused a shortage in the commercial balance that is estimated at $12.5 billion.

The statistics referred to Egypt's imports of children's toys, which reached $500 million dollars-- almost equal to Egypt's exports of cotton textiles-- and that these imports come from the Asian states.

The statistics issued by the Egyptian ministry of foreign trade and economy said Egypt's imports of toys are increasing by 10% annually and that the Egyptian government has been trying since 1998 to increase the volume of Egyptian exports to more than $4.5 billion dollars to confront its deficit with the world's countries.