crushing, milling, brewing,
textiles, other light consumer goods, cement, construction

Industrial production growth rate: 1.3% (1995 est.)

Electricity:
capacity: 6,530,000 kW
production: 26.5 billion kWh (1992)
consumption per capita: NA
note: much of the electricity produced in Paraguay is exported to
Brazil and domestic consumption cannot be determined

Agriculture: cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco,
cassava (tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international
drug trade; transshipment point for Bolivian cocaine headed for
Europe and the US

Exports: $819.5 million (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: cotton, soybeans, timber, vegetable oils, meat
products, coffee, tung oil
partners: EU 37%, Brazil 25%, Argentina 10%, Chile 6%, US 6%

Imports: $2.871 billion (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities: capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, raw
materials, fuels
partners: Brazil 30%, EU 20%, US 18%, Argentina 8%, Japan 7%

External debt: $1.38 billion (yearend 1995)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $38 million (1993)

Currency: 1 guarani (G) = 100 centimos

Exchange rates: guaranies (G) per US$ - 2,003.8 (January 1996),
1,970.4 (1995), 1,911.5 (1994), 1,744.3 (1993), 1,500.3 (1992),
1,325.2 (1991)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation
--------------

Railways:
total: 971 km
standard gauge: 441 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 60 km 1.000-m gauge
other: 470 km various gauges (privately owned)

Highways:
total: 21,834 km
paved: 1,778 km
unpaved: 20,056 km (1987 est.)

Waterways: 3,100 km

Ports: Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion

Merchant marine:
total: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,323 GRT/23,907 DWT
ships by type: cargo 13, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off 1 (1995 est.)

Airports:
total: 739
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 3
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 4
with paved runways under 914 m: 438
with unpaved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 25
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 266 (1995 est.)

Communications
--------------

Telephones: 88,730 (1985 est.)

Telephone system: meager telephone service; principal switching
center is Asuncion
domestic: fair microwave radio relay network
international: satellite earth station - 1