Algeria achieves $166 million commercial surplus in August

Official statistics showed yesterday that Algeria achieved a commercial surplus of $166 million in August of this year due to the increase of petroleum prices in the international markets.

Statements of the national bureau for statistics showed that exports reached $883 million last month, with an increase of 20.70% in comparison to August 1988, while the imports reached $717 million, 4.78% less than in the same period of last year.

Figures showed that more than 97% of the exports' total value came from and petroleum sales abroad.

The bureau said the value of gas and petroleum sales in August 1999 reached $857 million, an increase of 20.7% over August 1998.