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MARCH KEY FIGURES

	January 2012	February 2012	March 2012
	$m	$m	$m
Food and live animals	847	735	719
Beverages and tobacco	129	146	134
Crude materials, inedible, except fuels	201	180	188
Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials	3 151	3 193	3 916
Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes	40	39	58
Chemicals and related products, nes	2 084	1 854	2 213
Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material	2 180	1 895	1 846
Machinery and transport equipment	7 194	6 760	8 620
Miscellaneous manufactured articles	2 448	2 097	2 242
Commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere in the SITC	855	993	858
TOTAL	19 128	17 890	20 792

• In original terms, the March 2012 merchandise imports were $20,792m, an increase of $2,902m (16%) on the February 2012 merchandise imports of $17,890m.

• Preliminary analysis shows that goods debits (imports) on a balance of payments basis in original terms rose $3,029m (16%) between February 2012 and March 2012. In seasonally adjusted terms, goods debits rose $2,185m (11%) from $19,813m in February 2012 to $21,998m in March 2012. Capital goods rose $1,154m (21%) driven by machinery and industrial equipment, up $1,119m (67%). Intermediate and other merchandise goods rose $804m (9%) and consumption goods rose $317m (6%). Non-monetary gold fell $90m (17%).

• Revisions have been made to the previous six months to incorporate the latest administrative data relating to international merchandise trade.