Norway has moved ahead of Saudi Arabia as France's primary oil supplier, figures from the national office for foreign trade statistics showed on Monday.
Last year, Norway accounted for 24.01 percent of French oil imports, well ahead of the 17.75 percent taken in from Saudi Arabia, long the major source of oil for France, according to customs figures published in the Petroleum Industry Bulletin (BIP).
Britain was the third biggest supplier of oil with 11.98 percent, a decrease of 3.92 percent from 1999. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries accounted for 46.13 percent of French imports in 2000, down from 50.12 percent the previous year.
Increased imports were also noted from the Democratic Republic of Congo, neighboring Congo-Brazzaville, Qatar, Sudan, Brazil, Egypt, Argentina, Cuba, and Ireland.—AFP.
©--Agence France Presse 2001.
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
