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ECUADOR POSTS 71.3 MLN DLR 8-MTH TRADE DEFICIT
    QUITO, Oct 20 - Ecuador posted a trade deficit of 71.3 mln
dlrs in the first eight months of 1987, compared with a surplus
of 468.6 mln dlrs in the same period of 1986, central bank
figures show.
    Ecuador suspended oil exports, which made up 55 pct of the
value of its total exports in 1986, for five months this year
after an earthquake in March shattered the country's pipeline.
    The central bank said the value of exports from January to
August 1987 stood at 1.132 billion dlrs and imports 1.204
billion dlrs. Net international monetary reserves declined to
57.5 mln dlrs at end-September from 146.8 mln dlrs at end-
September 1986.