The government said yesterday that merchandise exports rose to $4.28 billion in June from $3.86 billion a year ago.

Power-intensive products' share of merchandise exports is 21%, compared to 12% in 1997.

Helped by the economic recovery, Canadian merchandise exports have more than quadrupled in the last three years to reach over $175 million.

In the 1960s and 1970s, these exports were estimated at between 25 and 30% of all merchandise exports.

Agricultural exports, which were 87% of all merchandise export by value in 1960, fell to 35% in 1974 and to 11% by 2001.

Motor vehicles and auto parts are the leading industrial export, and over 12% of the total merchandise exports.

Thousands of units, annual rate 1,096 1,033 1,056 Merchandise Exports Sept.

Bananas alone account for upwards of 60% of the work force and 50% of merchandise exports.

The annual rate of increase worldwide for merchandise exports, for example, was 1.7 percent from 1870 to 1913, compared with about 1.3 percent since the 1950's.

Thousands of units, annual rate 1,540 1,450 1,390 Merchandise Exports Nov.