Belarus had $4.9-billion deficit of foreign trade in goods in first eight months of 2011, official statisticians report

Belarus had a $4,924.5-million deficit of foreign trade in goods in the first eight months of 2011 compared with $4,317.8 million in the first seven months of the year and $4,967.9 million in the first eight months of 2010, according to the National Statistics Committee (Belstat).

According to Belstat, in July, the deficit of foreign trade in goods decreased by $150 million after an increase of almost $600 million in the previous month compared with $902.6 million in January, more than $1 billion in both February and March, $720 million in April and $117.4 million in May.

In the first eight months of 2011, Belarus' foreign trade in goods reportedly totaled $56,013.1 million, a 56.2-percent year-on-year increase, with exports amounting to $26,044.3 million, a 68.7-percent increase, and imports to $29,968.8 million, a $46.8-percent increase.

Belarus had a deficit of $4,896.9 million in trade with CIS member countries in the first eight months of 2011, compared with $3,855 million in the same period of 2010. Exports rose by 52.7 percent to total $12,870.8 million and imports by 44.6 percent to total $17,767.7 million. Trade with CIS countries increased by 47.9 percent to total $30,638.5 million.

Trade with Russia totaled $24,820.9 million, a 45.5-percent increase, with exports rising by 49.7 percent to total $9,199.8 and imports by 43.1 percent to total $15,621.1 million. Belarus had a deficit of $6,421.3 million compared with $4,770.8 million in the same period last year.

Trade with Kazakhstan totaled $526.9 million, a 5.1-percent increase. Exports amounted to $426 million, a 33.6-percent rise, and imports to $100.9 million, a decrease of 44.8 percent, with Belarus having an export surplus of $325.1 million against $136.1 million in the same period last year.

Belarus' trade with foreign countries outside the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) totaled $25,374.6 million, a 67.7-percent increase. Exports rose by 87.9 percent to total $13,173.5 and imports by 50.2 percent to total $12,201.1. Belarus had an export surplus of $972.4 million compared with a deficit of $1,112.9 million in the same period last year.