OREANDA-NEWS. On 02 September 2008 was announced, that total volume of transactions at Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange rose 77% on the year in January-June 2008 to 2.048 trllion Belarusian rubles (Br), according to a bulletin of the exchange.

In the period, there were 79,827 transactions and 4,892 traders.

Wood and timber sales increased 32% on the year to 420.92 billion rubles. There were 11,100 transactions with wood. Exports via the exchange reached 175.6 billion rubles, down 8% year-on-year.

Round timber sales rose 56.8% on the year in January-June to 918,400 cubic meters, worth 116.5 billion rubles, and sales of sawn timber hiked 8.5 times to 146,800 cubic meters, totaling 48.3 billion rubles. Standing wood sales rose tenfold to 45.4 billion rubles, or 1.8 million cubic meters.

Sales of veneer via the exchange amounted to 2,500 cubic meters, and of fiberboard 895,100 cubic meters, totaling 6.1 billion rubles.

Ferrous metals trading reached 233,800 tonnes, up 28%, worth 849 billion rubles, up 65%.

Average weighted prices of hot-rolled and cold-rolled sheet products rose 64% and 60%, respectively, to 3.162 million rubles and 3.051 million rubles per tonne. Zinc-plated flat section prices rose 35% to 3.837 million rubles.

Hot-rolled stock accounted for 30% of total sales, and cold-rolled stock for 9%, zinc-plated flat section for 3%, round blanks for 12%, and channel section for 4%.

The mercantile exchange accounted for 671 billion rubles’ worth of metal imports in the first six months of 2.437 trillion rubles’ worth of overall imports.

The volume of transactions with farm produce rose 140% in the period to 2,912 deals worth 642 billion rubles. Powdered milk sales fell 25.5% to 21,900 tonnes worth 147.3 billion rubles, down 21%.

Technical casein sales increased 34% to 5,100 tonnes worth 85.4 billion rubles, up 44.5% on the year.

Exports reached 21,900 tonnes of powdered skimmed milk, 800 tonnes of full cream powder, 5,100 tonnes of casein, 21,500 tonnes of butter, 12,700 tonnes of cheese and 11,500 tonnes of rapeseed oil.

The total volume of transactions at OAO Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange rose 150% on the year in January-December 2007 to 2.897 trillion rubles. In the period, there were 108,580 transactions and 3,955 bidders.