EXHIBIT 5. EXPORTS (F.A.S. VALUE),  IMPORTS (CUSTOMS AND C.I.F.
VALUES) AND MERCHANDISE TRADE BALANCE, SEASONALLY ADJUSTED AND NOT 
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED: October 1998 TO October 1999

In millions of dollars. Details may not equal totals due to seasonal
adjustment and rounding. (R) - Revised.




                                         Trade balance
      Period                       Customs            C.I.F.
                                      Seasonally Adjusted
1998                      
Jan.- Dec.                       -229,758.4         -260,507.6
Jan.- Oct.                       -190,742.9         -216,196.5

January                           -15,923.6          -18,372.9
February                          -16,470.0          -18,859.3
March                             -18,831.2          -21,345.0
April                             -19,875.1          -22,362.6
May                               -21,191.2          -23,739.6
June                              -19,141.1          -21,666.0

July                              -19,731.5          -22,311.0
August                            -20,272.2          -22,931.1
September                         -20,116.2          -22,715.7
October                           -19,190.7          -21,893.2
November                          -19,409.5          -22,072.6
December                          -19,606.0          -22,238.4
                          
1999                
Jan.- Oct.                       -268,590.2         -297,064.9

January                           -22,225.1          -24,812.1
February                          -23,847.5          -26,482.6
March                             -24,416.3          -27,027.9
April                             -24,068.9          -26,717.6
May                               -26,543.3          -29,280.7
June                              -29,700.6          -32,676.0

July                              -30,192.8          -33,182.5
August                            -28,808.8          -31,891.4
September (R)                     -28,199.6          -31,307.0
October                           -30,587.4          -33,687.1
November                  
December                  
                                    Not  Seasonally  Adjusted
1998                
Jan.- Dec.                       -229,758.4         -260,507.6
Jan.- Oct.                       -192,888.5         -218,430.8

January                           -15,052.1          -17,407.3
February                          -13,160.0          -15,371.4
March                             -15,798.8          -18,371.0
April                             -19,068.9          -21,573.3
May                               -17,325.7          -19,805.1
June                              -19,923.9          -22,509.3

July                              -24,759.8          -27,417.0
August                            -22,593.6          -25,265.8
September                         -22,807.1          -25,432.1
October                           -22,398.5          -25,278.5
November                          -19,625.0          -22,256.7
December                          -17,244.9          -19,820.0

1999                
Jan.- Oct.                       -269,681.4         -298,280.3

January                           -19,475.1          -21,887.3
February                          -20,665.8          -23,111.2
March                             -23,704.1          -26,449.2
April                             -22,701.5          -25,355.8
May                               -24,284.1          -26,988.3
June                              -29,797.4          -32,819.4

July                              -33,511.9          -36,544.4
August                            -32,254.7          -35,432.0
September (R)                     -30,974.6          -34,148.5
October                           -32,312.1          -35,544.2
November                  
December                  
_____________________________________________________________


                                   Exports
    Period                      F.a.s. value
                             Seasonally Adjusted
1998                      
Jan.- Dec.                        682,137.7
Jan.- Oct.                        566,413.5

January                            58,384.9
February                           57,319.8
March                              57,292.4
April                              55,989.9
May                                55,607.5
June                               55,919.7

July                               55,136.9
August                             55,943.1
September                          56,418.5
October                            58,400.7
November                           58,533.4
December                           57,190.8
                          
1999                
Jan.- Oct.                        573,188.8

January                            56,216.1
February                           55,816.2
March                              55,363.6
April                              56,263.0
May                                56,263.4
June                               56,673.1

July                               56,922.2
August                             59,994.6
September (R)                      60,082.7
October                            59,593.9
November                  
December                  
                          Not  Seasonally  Adjusted
1998                
Jan.- Dec.                        682,137.7
Jan.- Oct.                        564,980.8

January                            55,172.0
February                           55,233.6
March                              62,296.8
April                              56,674.6
May                                56,672.2
June                               56,994.0

July                               51,577.5
August                             53,420.1
September                          55,627.2
October                            61,313.0
November                           58,394.8
December                           58,762.2

1999                
Jan.- Oct.                        570,158.7

January                            52,382.9
February                           53,442.9
March                              60,622.3
April                              57,250.0
May                                56,589.4
June                               57,953.0

July                               53,079.6
August                             57,521.6
September (R)                      59,244.0
October                            62,073.0
November                  
December                  
__________________________________________

                                           Imports
    Period                      Customs value      C.i.f. value
                                     Seasonally  Adjusted
1998                      
Jan.- Dec.                        911,896.1          942,645.3
Jan.- Oct.                        757,156.3          782,610.0

January                            74,308.5           76,757.8
February                           73,789.8           76,179.1
March                              76,123.6           78,637.4
April                              75,865.0           78,352.5
May                                76,798.7           79,347.1
June                               75,060.8           77,585.7

July                               74,868.4           77,447.9
August                             76,215.3           78,874.3
September                          76,534.7           79,134.2
October                            77,591.5           80,294.0
November                           77,943.0           80,606.0
December                           76,796.8           79,429.3

1999                
Jan.- Oct.                        841,779.0          870,253.7

January                            78,441.2           81,028.1
February                           79,663.7           82,298.8
March                              79,779.9           82,391.6
April                              80,331.9           82,980.6
May                                82,806.7           85,544.2
June                               86,373.7           89,349.1

July                               87,115.0           90,104.7
August                             88,803.4           91,886.0
September (R)                      88,282.3           91,389.6
October                            90,181.3           93,281.0
November            
December            
                                    Not  Seasonally  Adjusted
1998                
Jan.- Dec.                        911,896.1          942,645.3
Jan.- Oct.                        757,869.3          783,411.6

January                            70,224.0           72,579.3
February                           68,393.7           70,605.0
March                              78,095.6           80,667.7
April                              75,743.5           78,247.9
May                                73,997.9           76,477.3
June                               76,917.9           79,503.3

July                               76,337.2           78,994.5
August                             76,013.6           78,685.9
September                          78,434.3           81,059.3
October                            83,711.5           86,591.5
November                           78,019.7           80,651.5
December                           76,007.1           78,582.2

1999                
Jan.- Oct.                        839,840.0          868,439.0

January                            71,858.0           74,270.2
February                           74,108.7           76,554.1
March                              84,326.3           87,071.4
April                              79,951.6           82,605.9
May                                80,873.4           83,577.7
June                               87,750.4           90,772.3

July                               86,591.5           89,624.0
August                             89,776.4           92,953.6
September (R)                      90,218.7           93,392.5
October                            94,385.1           97,617.2
November            
December            


CONTACT: For more information, contact Haydn R. Mearkle (301-457-2246) or
         Nick Orsini (301-457-2311) Foreign Trade Division or see 
         our web site at "http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/"

NOTE:  For information on more detailed data available, please see
       record titled "MORE DETAILED FOREIGN TRADE DATA AVAILABLE." 



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