Manado, N Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - North Sulawesi`s imports in the first five months of 2011 surged 214.57 percent to US$74.1 million from US$23.5 million in the same period last year.

The imports mainly consisted of rice, machinery, mechanical appliances and ships and spare parts, Head of the North Sulawesi Provincial Statistics Office Dantes Simbolon said on Tuesday.

Rice imports reached US$23.2 million, accounting for 31.3 percent of the province`s overall imports in the five months through May, he said.

Machinery and mechanical appliances came in second with US$18.1 million or 24.4 percent, ships and spare parts US$14.2 million or 19.2 percent, he said.

He said iron and steel imports were valued at US$6.6 million, machinery and electrical appliances US$4.6 million, and iron and steel products US$2.9 million.

In the first five months of 2011, North Sulawesi imported US$23.2 million worth of rice from Vietnam, putting it in the first place among the countries exporting goods to the province, he said.

Japan came in second with US$18.2 million, followed by China US$6.8 million, Australia US$6.6 million, Malaysia US$5.7 million, Taiwan US$4.9 million, Singapore US$3.6 million, South Korea US$ 1.7 million, the United States US$1.4 million and the Philippines US$1.2 million.

Compared to April, imports from Taiwan rose US$1.9 million, Singapore US$0.7 million and China US$0.4 million, he said.

The imports consisted of capital goods worth US$31.6 million (42.62 percent), consumer goods US$24.2 million (32.71 percent) and raw and auxiliary materials US$18.3 million (24.68 percent).

(SYS/S012)

Editor: Suryanto
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