OREANDA-NEWS. On 12 February 2009 was announced, that Belarus’ foreign commodity trade deficit amounted to USD 6.581 billion in January-December 2008, compared to the USD 4.418 billion deficit in January-December 2007, according to the National Statistics Committee.

Exports rose 35.5% in January-December year-on-year, and imports increased 37.6%.

Exports from Belarus reached USD 32.902 billion as of January 1, 2009. This included USD 14.406 billion worth of exports to CIS states, up 28.4% on the year, including exports to Russia, which stood at USD 10.585 billion, up 19.2% on the year. Exports to non-CIS countries amounted to USD 18.496 billion as of January 1, 2009, up 41.7% on the year. Exports to Germany rose 11.1% to USD 812.4 million.

Belarusian imports were at USD 39.483 billion as of January 1, 2009. Belarus’ imports from CIS countries increased 37% to USD 24.054 billion, including imports from Russia at USD 23.604 billion, up 37.2% on the year. Imports from non-CIS countries went up 38.8% on the year to USD 13.429 billion, which includes USD 2.792 billion worth of imports from Germany, a rise of 28.6%.

The deficit of commodity trade with CIS countries came to USD 11.647 billion, up 49.4% on the year in the period. The deficit of commodity trade with Russia hiked 56.4% year-on-year in January-December to USD 13.019 billion. In trade with Ukraine, Belarus showed a USD 674.6 million surplus.

The surplus of foreign trade with countries outside the CIS reached USD 5.067 billion in January-December 2008, compared to the USD 3.377 billion surplus in January-December 2007. Trade with Germany came to a USD 1.98 billion deficit in January-December 2008, down from the deficit of USD 1.44 billion in January-December 2007.

The CIS accounts for 55.9% of Belarus’ trade turnover, and Russia accounts for 47.2%, while non-CIS foreign states account for 44.1%.