Exports: total value: $218 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: clothing, furniture, footwear, machinery and equipment, wool (1993) partners: South African Customs Union 46%, North America 34%, EU 18% (1993)

Imports: total value: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: corn, clothing, building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (1993) partners: South African Customs Union 83%, Asia 12%, EU 3% (1993)

Debt - external: $512 million (1993)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente note : maloti (M) is the plural form of loti

Exchange rates: maloti (M) per US$1 - 4.6410 (January 1997), 4.2706 (1996), 3.6266 (1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992); note - the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

@Lesotho:Communications

Telephones: 12,000 (1991 est.)

Telephone system: rudimentary system domestic: consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system international : satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)