PART B:     NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED

EXHIBIT 17. IMPORTS OF ENERGY-RELATED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS, INCLUDING 
            CRUDE PETROLEUM - JANUARY 1997 - AUGUST 1998 
            (Details may not equal totals due to rounding.)

 
Total energy-related
petroleum products     (1)Crude petroleum

                                              (1,000's)
             Quantity     Value    Quantity  of barrels    Value
             (1,000's)  (1,000's)  (1,000's)   per day   (1,000's) Unit price
   Period   of barrels)of dollars)of barrels) (average) of dollars)    ($)


1997                                                                
                                                                    

Jan-Dec      3,802,574 69,288,075  3,069,430      8,409 54,225,906      17.67
Jan-Aug      2,506,368 46,689,750  2,011,422      8,277 36,290,352      18.04
January        295,029  6,624,283    224,135      7,230  4,900,107      21.86
February       270,487  5,683,189    211,073      7,538  4,323,793      20.48
March          315,042  6,048,472    245,623      7,923  4,607,899      18.76
April          309,804  5,473,315    250,947      8,365  4,298,102      17.13
May            343,544  6,079,238    278,223      8,975  4,745,343      17.06
June           313,136  5,430,618    254,232      8,474  4,284,696      16.85

July           325,451  5,493,950    266,293      8,590  4,368,855      16.41
August         333,875  5,856,686    280,897      9,061  4,761,558      16.95
September      335,430  5,822,721    274,565      9,152  4,593,231      16.73
October        341,352  6,162,921    280,555      9,050  4,967,610      17.71
November       308,491  5,471,909    252,757      8,425  4,360,799      17.25
December       310,934  5,140,774    250,131      8,069  4,013,914      16.05


1998                            

                                                                    
Jan-Aug      2,750,162 34,275,330  2,197,077      9,041 26,162,561      11.91
January        325,160  4,811,494    264,221      8,523  3,808,981      14.42
February       295,068  4,032,651    233,845      8,352  3,066,378      13.11
March          334,852  4,174,033    268,050      8,647  3,204,470      11.95
April          370,959  4,584,693    303,264     10,109  3,576,166      11.79
May            351,760  4,402,155    279,086      9,003  3,293,959      11.80
June           352,066  4,176,827    280,824      9,361  3,154,062      11.23

July           356,627  4,055,171    278,706      8,991  2,986,154      10.71
August         363,670  4,038,307    289,081      9,325  3,072,390      10.63
September                                                           
October                                                             
November                                                            
December                                                            

(1)  Details shown for these Energy-Related Petroleum Products are not 
available on a Balance of Payments Basis.  These products include the 
following SITC commodity groupings; crude oil, petroleum preparations, and 
liquified propane and butane gas.

SOURCE: Report FT900 (CB-98-196), Bureau of the Census, Foreign Trade
        Division, August 1998.  For more information, contact Haydn R. 
        Mearkle (301-457-2246) or Richard M. Preuss (301-457-2311), 
        Foreign Trade Division.