Increases 30% in the first quarter of 2010
Trade among the CAN countries rose 77-fold in four decades 

Lima, May 26, 2010.- Trade among the Andean Community Member Countries increased almost 77-fold over the four decades of existence of the Andean integration process, according to figures unveiled by the CAN General Secretariat Statistical Office.   

While in 1970, trade among the Andean countries amounted to 75 million dollars, by 2009, it had risen to a total of 5 774 million dollars. 

At the same time, intra-Community exports of manufactured goods multiplied by over 143, increasing from 32 million dollars en 1970 to 4 602 in 2009.  As a share of total exports sold in the subregion, manufactured goods almost doubled, from 43% to 80%.  

Intra-Community exports in the first quarter of 2010 

During the first quarter of 2010, trade among the Andean Community countries rose 30 percent, to resume the sustained growth interrupted in 2009 by the global economic crisis.   

Between January and March 2010, intra-Community exports reached 1 687 million dollars, representing growth of 30 percent over the same period of the previous year  (US$ 1 299 million). Ecuador showed the highest growth in intra-Andean trade, at 68% (rising from 303 to 509 million dollars), followed by Bolivia at 54%, Colombia at 17% and Peru at 12%. 

CAN Member Country extra-Community exports over the period of January to March 2010, for their part, amounted to 20 494 million dollars, representing an increase of 34% vis-à-vis the same period of the previous year.  Ecuador, again, showed the highest growth (52%), followed by Peru with 48%(rising from 4 889 to 7 241 million dollars).