Belarus reports growth in foreign trade

The volume of foreign trade of Belarus increased by 9.3% in 2002 compared to that of 2001 and reached $7.78bn. The official forecast for the rate of growth in the trade volume in 2002 was 6.3-7.4%. The Ministry of Statistics and Analysis of Belarus reported that this growth in foreign trade was due to a substantial increase in both exports, which rose by 8.7% to $8.1bn, and imports, which grew by 9.8% to $8.98bn. The physical volume of exports increased by 9.7% in 2002 compared to that of 2001, while the average price of exported goods decreased by 0.9%. The physical volume of imports increased by 11%, and the average price of imported goods declined by 1.1%.

The volume of exports to Russia (in US dollars) rose by 2.4% in 2001, and their physical volume was up 3.7%. The volume of imports from Russia in dollars rose by 9.3%, and the physical volume grew by 10.6%. The average prices of exports to Russia and imports from Russia decreased by 1.3% and 1.2% respectively.