OREANDA-NEWS. September 12, 2012. Belarus’ foreign commodity trade surplus amounted to USD 2.014 billion in January-July 2012, compared to a USD 3.434 billion deficit in January-July 2011, according to the National Statistics Committee.

Exports rose 28.1% in January-July 2012 year-on-year to USD 29.261 billion, and imports increased 3.7% to USD 27.247 billion.

Exports from Belarus included USD 13.296 billion worth of supplies to the CIS states, up 17.5% on the year. Exports to the Customs Union totalled USD 9.563 billion, including exports to Russia, which stood at USD 9.083 billion, up 9.5%, and to Kazakhstan at USD 479.4 million, up 27.3%.

Exports to foreign countries other than the CIS states amounted to USD 15.964 billion as of August 1, 2012, up 38.5% on the year. Exports to the EU states expanded 50% to USD 12.951 billion.

Belarusian imports from CIS countries rose 18.7% to USD 18.444 billion. Imports from the Customs Union rose 24.3% to USD 17.143 billion, including imports from Russia at USD 17.069 billion, up 24.6% on the year, and from Kazakhstan at USD 73.9 million, down 17.3%.

Imports from foreign countries other than the CIS states went down 18% on the year to USD 8.803 million. Imports from the EU states went up 2% on the year to USD 4.874 billion.

The deficit of commodity trade with the CIS countries came to USD 5.148 billion, up 21.9% on the year in January-July 2012. The deficit of commodity trade with the Customs Union totalled USD 7.58 billion (up 48.1%), which includes the deficit of commodity trade with Russia - up 47.7% year-on-year in January-July 2012 to USD 7.986 billion. In trade with Kazakhstan, Belarus showed a USD 405.5 million surplus, up 41.1%.

The surplus of foreign trade with countries outside the CIS reached USD 7.161 billion in January-July 2012, compared to a USD 790 million surplus in January-July 2011. The surplus of foreign trade with the European Union reached USD 8.077 billion in January-July 2012, 210% up on the year.

The CIS accounted for 56.2% of Belarus’ trade turnover in January-July 2012 (54.7% in Jan-Jul 2011), Russia accounted for 46.3% (44.8%), while non-CIS foreign states are responsible for 43.8% (45.3%).