OREANDA-NEWS. November 21, 2011. The 52.7-per-cent increase in the import of machines and equipment points to the enlivenment of production-oriented investment projects. This is how experts have commented on the National Statistics Bureau's (BNS) data about Moldova's foreign trade operations in the first nine months of 2011.

Thus in January-September 2011, the import of power generators and spare parts to them grew 2.2-fold; the import of machines and devices for processing metal went up 2.5-fold, and the import of industrial machines and devices rose by 63.6 per cent.

The BNS said the imports of machines and equipment for transport accounted for 22.5 per cent of all the imports, standing at 831.2 million dollars in the first nine months of 2011.

The value of machines and equipment exceeds even the acquisition of fuel, including gas, which has earlier been on the first positions in terms of imports. Mineral fuel, lubricants and derived materials worth 797.2 million dollars were imported in January-September 2011.

The increase in the import of raw material points to more production-oriented investment projects carried out in Moldova, the experts also said. The import of manufactured goods, such as threads, fabric and textile items, accounted for 19.2 per cent of all the imports, amounting to 708 million dollars.

In January-September 2011, Moldova imported goods worth 3,693.8 billion dollars, up by 40.1 per cent against the same period of 2010, data by the National Statistics Bureau show.