Updated at 13:52,22-04-2024

Official statisticians report 51-percent year-on-year increase in exports to EU

BelaPAN

Belarus’ trade with the European Union's member countries rose by 33 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of 2012 to total $17,842.9 million, with exports to the EU increasing by 51 percent to total $12,950.8 million and imports rising two percent to total $4,874.1 million, according to the National Statistical Committee (Belstat).

The nation's major trading partners were: Russia, which accounted for 46.3 percent of the total volume of foreign trade, the Netherlands with 10.9 percent, Ukraine with 7.8 percent, Latvia with 5.3 percent, Germany with 4.2 percent, China with 2.6 percent, Poland with 2.3 percent, Lithuania with 1.7 percent, Italy with 1.6 percent, and Brazil with 1.3 percent.

Russia accounted for 31 percent of Belarus' exports, other CIS countries for 14.4 percent, the EU for 44.3 percent and other countries for 10.3 percent. As much as 62.6 percent of the total volume of the country's imports was from Russia, 5.1 percent from other CIS countries, 17.9 percent from the EU and 14.4 percent from other countries.

Exports to Russia rose by 9.5 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of 2012 to total $9,083.1 million, and imports from Russia by 24.6 percent to total $17,068.9 million.

Belarus exported $5,933.1 million worth of goods to the Netherlands, a year-on-year increase of 85 percent, and imported $238.5 million worth of goods from that country, a 7.9-percent increase.

Exports to Ukraine increased by 57 percent to total $3,196.6 million, and imports from that country increased by 7.9 percent to total $1,215.5 million.

Exports to Latvia increased by 70 percent to total $2,929.2 million and exports to Lithuania by 75.4 percent to total $773.6 million, while exports to China decreased by 3.2 percent to total $344.1 million, exports to Germany by 4.5 percent to total $1,013,2 million, and exports to Poland by 15.3 percent to total $573.6 million.

According to Belstat, imports from Latvia increased by 13.9 percent to total $75.2 million, imports from Lithuania by 8.1 percent to total $180.4 million, and imports from China by 1.4 percent to total $1,103.7 million, while imports from Germany decreased by 1.8 percent to total $1,353.5 million, and imports from Poland by 0.5 percent to total $723.7 million.