The trade agreement includes exports from Australia such as vegetables and dairy products.

It should be stressed that the figures given are for manufactures only and do not include exports of primary products or raw materials.

Break-bulk cargo of about 200,000 tons annually includes both imports and exports.

But they will also include toys, electronics and other major Chinese exports.

The encouraging trade deficit figures for December, issued last week, included agricultural exports that rose to $28.6 billion from $26.1 billion in 1987.

"This includes exports and license brewing."

But one administration official said that he believed the threat of including key British exports on the sanctions list had proved more powerful than actually imposing the duties.

It's been a long time," he said, "and you can't imagine my dismay when I learned that the quarantine included exports.

Trade with Europe at the peak of the slave trade-which also included significant exports of gold and ivory-was some 3.5 million pounds Sterling per year.

Last year's annual sales of 50 million rupees, or about $2 million, included exports of $80,000.