OREANDA-NEWS. August 13, 2012. Belarus’ foreign commodity trade surplus amounted to USD 1.991 billion in January-June 2012, compared to a USD 3.779 billion deficit in January-June 2011, according to the National Statistics Committee.

Exports rose 33.7% in January-June 2012 year-on-year to USD 25.311 billion, and imports increased 2.7% to USD 23.321 billion.

Exports from Belarus included USD 11.261 billion worth of supplies to the CIS states, up 20% on the year, including exports to Russia, which stood at USD 7.734 billion, up 11.5%, and to Kazakhstan at USD 417.6 million, up 34.7%.

Exports to foreign countries other than the CIS states amounted to USD 14.05 billion as of July 1, 2012, up 47.2% on the year. Exports to the EU states expanded 60% to USD 11.554 billion.

Belarusian imports from CIS countries rose 20.9% to USD 15.877 billion, including imports from Russia at USD 14.766 billion, up 27.9% on the year, and from Kazakhstan at USD 61.4 million, down 26.1%.

Imports from foreign countries other than the CIS states went down 22.3% on the year to USD 7.444 million. Imports from the EU states went down 0.2% on the year to USD 4.098 billion.

The deficit of commodity trade with the CIS countries came to USD 4.616 billion, up 23.3% on the year in January-June 2012. The deficit of commodity trade with Russia expanded 52.5% year-on-year in January-June 2012 to USD 7.032 billion. In trade with Kazakhstan, Belarus showed a USD 356.2 million surplus, up 56.8%.

The surplus of foreign trade with countries outside the CIS reached USD 6.607 billion in January-June 2012, compared to a USD 35.6 million surplus in January-June 2011. The surplus of foreign trade with the European Union reached USD 7.757 billion in January-June 2012, 150% up on the year.

The CIS accounted for 55.8% of Belarus’ trade turnover in January-June 2012 (54.1% in Jan-Jun 2011), Russia accounted for 46.9% (46.3%), while non-CIS foreign states are responsible for 44.2% (45.9%).