U.S. IMPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL, FISH & FORESTRY PRODUCTS FROM NICARAGUA
                                              CY 1996 - 2000 AND YEAR-TO-DATE COMPARISONS
                                                      (IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
 IMPORT MARKET: NICARAGUA
 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                            CALENDAR YEARS (JAN-DEC)                 |      JANUARY - MARCH 
                                                                                                     |        COMPARISONS         % 
 PRODUCT                                        1996        1997        1998        1999        2000 |      2000        2001   CHANGE
 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 BULK AGRICULTURAL TOTAL.................     38,258      49,470      53,416      43,302      78,102*|    26,195      11,144   -57.46
   TOBACCO...............................        436         927       1,019       1,373       1,668 |       498          58   -88.31
   RUBBER & ALLIED PRODUCTS..............         27          18           0           0          60 |         0           0      -
   RAW COFFEE............................      5,454      16,683      27,688      24,816      58,829*|    21,984       9,322   -57.60
   COCOA BEANS...........................        205           0           0           0           0 |         0           0      -
   RAW BEET & CANE SUGAR.................     28,133      30,583      22,582      15,120      14,349 |     3,694       1,764   -52.26
   OTHER BULK COMMODITIES................      4,003*      1,259       2,126       1,993       3,195 |        19           0   -100.0
                                                                                                                                     
 INTERMEDIATE AGRICULTURAL TOTAL.........      4,842       3,819       3,477       1,599         165 |        20       1,390   6848.6
   OTHER VEGETABLE OILS..................        632       1,665       2,621*      1,476           0 |         0         793      -
   LIVE ANIMALS..........................         16          15          28          50          45 |         0          37      -
   HIDES & SKINS.........................         34           0           0           0           0 |         0           0      -
   PLANTING SEEDS........................          0         212*         13           8           0 |         0           0      -
   SUGARS, SWEETENERS, & BEVERAGE BASES..      3,778       1,685         601           0           0 |         0         500      -
   OTHER INTERMEDIATE PRODUCTS...........        383         241         215          65         120 |        20          60   200.00
                                                                                                                                     
 CONSUMER-ORIENTED AGRICULTURAL TOTAL....     36,093      41,227      35,455      28,591      30,863 |     9,838      11,756    19.49
   SNACK FOODS (INCL. CHOCOLATE).........          0           6           0           5         105 |         0           0      -
   RED MEATS, FRESH/CHILLED/FROZEN.......     22,595      26,038      13,640      14,402      21,998 |     5,893       8,126    37.90
   CHEESE................................          9         159         259         285         467*|         8         201   2353.2
   OTHER DAIRY PRODUCTS..................          0          41          44         176*        153 |         0          27      -
   BANANAS AND PLANTAINS.................      4,392       5,014      13,541       8,134         460 |       144         403   178.95
   OTHER FRESH FRUIT.....................      3,094       4,234*      3,241       1,639       3,207 |     2,202       1,374   -37.63
   FRESH VEGETABLES......................        772       1,870       2,706*      2,263       2,486 |       702       1,259    79.37
   PROCESSED FRUIT & VEGETABLES..........        253         242         265         223         221 |        83          62   -25.79
   FRUIT & VEGETABLE JUICES..............          0          11           0           0          24*|         0          11      -
   NURSERY PRODUCTS & CUT FLOWERS........        360*        159          10           0           4 |         0           0      -
   ROASTED & INSTANT COFFEE..............        230         133         348         147         420 |        22          85   287.52
   SPICES................................      4,388*      3,321       1,400       1,130       1,009 |       700         101   -85.58
   OTHER CONSUMER-ORIENTED PRODUCTS......          0           0           0         186         309*|        83         108    29.84
                                                                                                                                     
 FOREST PRODUCTS (EXCL. PULP & PAPER)....      2,867       5,499*      1,788       1,807       1,232 |       274         412    50.32
   LOGS AND CHIPS........................         48         181*         43           0           5 |         0           0      -
   HARDWOOD LUMBER.......................      2,406       4,228*      1,079       1,074         813 |       152         359   137.24
   SOFTWOOD AND TREATED LUMBER...........        314         562*        197          54         112 |         0           0      -
   PANEL PRODUCTS (INCL. PLYWOOD)........          0          48           0           0           0 |         0           3      -
   OTHER VALUE-ADDED WOOD PRODUCTS.......         98         480         471         678*        301 |       123          50   -59.25
                                                                                                                                     
 FISH & SEAFOOD PRODUCTS, EDIBLE.........     63,918      71,390      68,059      81,858     107,081*|    27,961      21,812   -21.99
   SHRIMP................................     25,298      28,663      31,298      37,184      44,137*|     9,327       8,647    -7.29
   TUNA..................................         90         176          25         133          12 |        10          24   138.77
   LOBSTER...............................     32,149      31,679      26,652      36,586      54,292*|    16,635      10,810   -35.01
   GROUNDFISH, FILLET/STEAK..............         59*          0           6           0           0 |         0           0      -
   OTHER EDIBLE FISH & SEAFOOD...........      6,323      10,871*     10,078       7,954       8,639 |     1,989       2,330    17.13
                                        _____________________________________________________________________________________________
 AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT TOTAL                   79,193      94,516      92,348      73,493     109,130 |    36,053      24,290   -32.63
 AGRICULTURAL, FISH & FORESTRY TOTAL         145,978     171,405     162,196     157,157     217,443*|    64,288      46,514   -27.65
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 ANALYSIS BY:  COMMODITY AND MARKETING PROGRAMS/FAS/USDA                      FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE FAS WEB SITE "FASOnline"
 SOURCE:       U.S. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS TRADE DATA                           AT www.fas.usda.gov, SELECT SEARCH, THEN BICO REPORTS
 NOTE:       * DENOTES HIGHEST IMPORT LEVELS SINCE AT LEAST CY 1970           OR EMAIL FAS AT fasinfo@fas.usda.gov