$515 million in Egyptian - US commercial trade in first two months of 1999

Egyptian Minister of Trade and Supply Ahmed Goweili said the volume of commercial trade between Egypt and the U.S.A. in January and February of 1999 decreased by 17.7% in comparison to the same period of last year and that value of the Egyptian exports to the U.S. reached nearly $90 million during the same period, mostly represented in ready-made clothes, fabrics and textiles with 64% and consumer goods with 13.7%. Petroleum and its products accounted for 3.7% of trade, while engineering and metal goods took 6.1% and food products 2.6%.