Belarusian-Russian Trade Reported up 26.5 Percent in First 11 Months of 2006

Trade between Belarus and Russia increased by 26.5 percent year-on-year to $18 billion in the first 11 months of 2006, according to the press office of the Belarusian economy ministry.

Belarusian exports reportedly went up by 20.2 percent to $6.2 billion and imports by 30.1 percent to $11.8 billion.

Export of tractors, trucks, trailers and semi-trailers, tires, insulated wire and cable, road equipment and refrigirators increased most significantly. The highest rise in imports occurred in supplies of crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas, ferrous metal scrap, copper wire and synthetic rubber. The press office said that Belarusian exports of meat and dairy products also had been up.

Russia accounted for 86.2 percent of Belarus' total trade with the CIS countries that reportedly rose by 27.5 percent year-on-year to $20.9 billion in the first 11 months of 2006, with exports increasing by 22.2 percent to $7.8 billion and imports by 30.8 percent to $13 billion.

The press office also disclosed statistics on the country's trade with other CIS countries.

Trade between Belarus and Ukraine reportedly soared by 36.6 percent to $2.2 billion. Exports went up by 35.6 percent and imports by 37.7 percent, with Belarus' export surplus totaling $34.6 million. In the period, Belarus supplied Ukraine with more petroleum products, tractors, tires and trucks and bought from it more railcars, cord fabric, vehicle and tractor components and sunflower oil.

Trade between Belarus and Kazakhstan jumped by 56.7 percent to $300.2 million, with exports increasing by 44.9 percent to $239.3 million and imports by 130 percent to $60.9 million. Belarus had an export surplus of $178.4 million, an increase of $39.7 million on the same period of the previous year.

Trade with Moldova reportedly totaled $155.8 million, the same amount as in the first 11 months of 2005. Exports amounted to $88 million and imports to $67.8 million.

Belarusian exports went up by 180 percent to Georgia, by almost 120 percent to Kyrgyzstan, by 62.4 percent to Tajikistan, by 33.3 percent to Armenia, by 30 percent to Azerbaijan, and by 20.4 percent to Uzbekistan, according to the press office.