OREANDA-NEWS. On 03 April 2009 was announced, that foreign trade turnover of goods and services for the Republic of Karelia in 2008 has made 1951,5 million US dollars, that is 11% more, than in 2007. Such data was published by the Office of External Economic, Inter-Regional and International Links of the Ministry of Economic Development of Karelia.

According to the analysis presented, export from the Republic of Karelia in money terms has grown by 10.4% in relation to the previous year and has made 1483,8 million dollars. Pulp-and-paper production had the greatest influence on growth of export deliveries.

Good situation in the end of the last year was observed in the sphere of export of cellulose: on results of the year its export has reached the level of USD 45,1 million, that is 21.2% more, than in 2007. Growth has been caused by both 12.9% increase of physical volume of export, up to the mark of 86,3 thousand tons, and 7.4% prices increase, up to the level of USD 522.3 per ton.

Rates of newprint export growth have made 122.7% in comparison with 2007 (up to USD 362,7 million). Physical volume of export has increased by 9.5% in comparison with 2007, and the average price has grown by 12.1%.

At the same time the crisis phenomena in economy have definitely affected export of some kinds of pulp-and-paper production. Decrease in kraft paper and cardboard deliveries since the August-September period has led to the fact that the volume of export in natural expression in 2008 has made 150,7 thousand tons, having reduced by 6.6% in comparison with the previous year's level. In spite of the fact that the mid-annual level of the export price has appeared to make 25.9% more than in 2007, in the second six months of the year the tendency to reduction of prices was shown clearly. At the same time, due to the high mid-annual price, export of kraft paper and cardboard in monetary terms in 2008 has made USD 135,5 million, having 17.6% exceeded the previous year's level.

The world financial crisis last months has also led to reduction of production volumes in world construction and mechanical engineering, that has negatively influenced the non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy. In the last months of 2008 the tendency to gradual decrease in export of metallurgical production was designated. At the same time, we should note, that volumes of export of iron-ore pellets from the republic as a whole on results of the year have remained at the rather high level. The physical volume of export exceeds the level of the similar period of the previous year by 4.1%, having made 2155,3 thousand tons.

Dynamics of import of goods and services to Karelia in 2008 has remained positive. On results of the year the volume of import has reached the level of USD 467,7 million, that is 13% more, than in the previous year. The basic import item is machine-building production which relative density makes about 42%.

The 2.4 times increase in import of mineral and chemical products comparison with 2007 draws special attention. In this commodity group there prevail plastics and plastic products, as well as products of inorganic chemistry and mineral fuel. Basically, the goods on this group were imported by Karelian enterprises to be used in production.