Belarus had $4.040.3-billion deficit of foreign trade in goods in first nine months of 2011

Belarus had a $4,040.3-million deficit of foreign trade in goods in the first nine months of 2011 compared with $4,924.5 million in the first eight months of the year and $5,927.9 million in the first nine months of 2010, according to the National Statistics Committee (Belstat).

According to Belstat, in September, the deficit of foreign trade in goods decreased by $883.7 million. The deficit increased by $902.6 million in January, more than $1 billion in both February and March, $720 million in April, $117.4 million in May, and almost $600 million in June, and decreased by $150 million in July and $606.7 million in August.

In the first nine months of 2011, Belarus' foreign trade in goods reportedly totaled $63,168.1 million, a 53.6-percent year-on-year increase, with exports amounting to $29,563.9 million, a 68-percent increase, and imports to $33,604.2 million, a $42.8-percent increase.

Belarus had a deficit of $5,607.1 million in trade with CIS member countries in the first nine months of 2011, compared with $4,309.2 million in the same period of 2010. Exports rose by 49.5 percent to total $34,679.5 million and imports by 43.5 percent to total $20,143.3 million. Trade with CIS countries increased by 45.9 percent to total $34,679.5 million.

In the first nine months of 2011, Belarus had a deficit of $7,029.5 million in trade with the other two members of the Customs Union -- Kazakhstan and Russia. The deficit was $5,214.6 million in the same period of 2010. Exports totaled $10,818.2 million, an increase of 45.2 percent, and imports $17,847.7 million, a rise of 40.9 percent. Trade with the Customs Union member countries rose by 42.5 percent to total $28,665.9 million.

In particular, trade with Russia totaled $28,076.6 million, a 43.9-percent increase, with exports rising by 45.8 percent to total $10,338.6 and imports by 42.8 percent to total $17,738 million. Belarus had a deficit of $7,399.4 million compared with $5,334 million in the same period last year.

Trade with Kazakhstan totaled $589.3 million, a 1.7-percent decrease. Exports amounted to $479.6 million, a 33.5-percent rise, and imports to $109.7 million, a decrease of 54.3 percent, with Belarus having an export surplus of $369.9 million against $119.4 million in the same period last year.

Belarus' trade with foreign countries outside the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) totaled $28,488.6 million, a 64.1-percent increase. Exports rose by 90.9 percent to total $15,027.7 and imports by 41.9 percent to total $13,460.9. Belarus had an export surplus of $1,566.8 million compared with a deficit of $1,618.7 million in the same period last year.