Amsterdam  - Export from the Netherlands continued to drop in August, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) said in a monthly report released on Tuesday.

With a drop of 7.9 per cent, the downfall is larger than the 5.9- per-cent drop reported in July, the CBS said. Yet it is still a smaller drop than the average of 13 per cent per month reported between January and June of this year.

The import volume fell 12.6 per cent in August, also more than the 9.9 per cent-drop reported in July but comparable with the average monthly drop reported in the first six months of the year.

Total value of exports amounted to 23.6 billion euros (34.8 billion dollars), 18 per cent less than during the same month last year.

The trade surplus amounted to 2.1 billion euros, 0.4 billion more than in August 2008. The CBS said it did not expect further improvement of export and import volumes in the coming months. (dpa)