helped push the balance of payments to a third quarter current account surplus of $62 million.

The third quarter figure was a 50 percent improvement on the same period in 1992, when the surplus was $42 million, according to provisional figures released by the Bermuda Monetary Authority.

For the year to date, the surplus was $66 million, up $20 million on the first nine months of 1992.

The BMA attributed the third quarter improvement to a $27 million increase in tourism earnings, which reached $186 million in the period and a $17 million increase in earnings from international business, which reached $115 million.

On the payments side, reductions in transfers ($22 million to $19 million) and investment income ($3 million to $8 million) contributed to the surplus.

In other sectors, imports grew from $124 million to $140 million, shipping and transport costs slipped from $24 million to $23 million, travel out of the Island remained the same at $37 million and payments for other goods, services and income grew from $57 million to $64 million.

On the receipts side, exports fell from $17 million to $13 million and shipping receipts fell from $7 million to $5 million.

On capital account, Bermuda ran a deficit of $35 million compared to $31 million in the third quarter of 1992. For the year to date, the deficit is $52 million, down from $65 million in the same period in 1992.