Import volume for February was 38,587 tonnes, down 20 per cent against February last year while exports were down 25.3 per cent year-on-year for a total of 64,546 tonnes. Exports to Europe were particularly weak, with a significant decline of 37.7 per cent.
Cumulative tonnage for the first two months of the year was 276,378 tonnes, down 26.9 per cent year-on-year, Hactl said in a statement. Aggregate import volume for the first two months of 2009 was 75,218 tonnes, representing a decline of 27.9 per cent year-on-year and total export volume for January and February was 140,237 tonnes, representing a yearon- year decline of 29.4 per cent.