OREANDA-NEWS. Belarus' foreign trade deficit stood at USD 391.4 million in January-April 2014 to compare with a USD 1.181 billion deficit in January-April 2013, according to the National Statistics Committee (Belstat).

Commodity exports decreased 3.9% year on year in January-April 2014 to USD 12.195 billion, while imports decreased 9.3% month on month to USD 12.596 billion.

Exports from Belarus included USD 6.724 billion worth of supplies to the CIS states, down 5.9% on the year. Exports to the Customs Union totalled USD 5.171 billion (down 6.2%), including exports to Russia, which stood at USD 4.918 billion, down 7%, and to Kazakhstan at USD 252.6 million, up 12.5%.

Exports to foreign countries other than the CIS states amounted to USD 5.471 billion in January-April 2014, down 1.4% on the year. Exports to the EU states remained unchanged at USD 4.123 billion.

Belarusian imports from the CIS countries reduced 9.1% year on year to USD 7.674 billion. Imports from the Customs Union reduced 7.4% to USD 7.115 billion, including imports from Russia at USD 7.08 billion, down 7.6% on the year, and from Kazakhstan at USD 35.4 million, up 29.9%.

Imports from foreign countries other than the CIS states went down 9.5% on the year to USD 4.912 billion. Imports from the EU states went down 9.6% on the year to USD 2.896 billion.

The deficit of commodity trade with the CIS countries came to USD 949.7 million (to compare with minUSD 1.297 billion in January-April 2013).

The deficit of commodity trade with the Customs Union totalled minUSD 1.945 billion (minUSD 2.174 billion), which includes the deficit of commodity trade with Russia - USD 2.162 billion (minUSD 2.372 billion). In trade with Kazakhstan, Belarus showed a USD 217.2 million surplus, (USD 197.4 million).

The surplus of foreign trade with countries outside the CIS reached USD 558.3 million in January-April 2014, to compare with a USD 116.3 million surplus in January-April 2013.

The foreign trade surplus in transactions with the European Union reached USD 1.225 billion in January-April 2014, up from a USD 921 million in January-April 2013.

The CIS accounted for 58% of Belarus' trade turnover in January-April 2014 (58.6% in January-April 2013), Russia accounted for 48.4% (48.9%), while non-CIS foreign states are responsible for 42% (41.4%).

Belarus' foreign trade deficit expanded to USD 5.766 billion in January-December 2013 to compare with a USD 344.5 million deficit in January-December 2012. Commodity exports decreased 19.2% year on year in January-December 2013 to USD 37.232 billion, while imports decreased 7.3% month on month to USD 43 billion.