MINSK, 29 July (BelTA) – The Minsk Oblast has extended the geography of its export up to 98 countries, BelTA learned from the economy department of the Minsk oblast executive committee. In January-May the Minsk Oblast traded with 133 countries. The major partners were Russia (31.1% of the total), Brazil (9.3%), China (7.4%), India (5.1%), Germany (5%), Ukraine (5%), Poland (4.6%), Indonesia (2.5%), Norway (2.1%), Italy (1.6%). Over the period under review the trade in commodities exceeded $2.8 billion, up 37.7% as compared to the same months last year. The oblast exported over $1.88 billion worth of products, up 73.2% from January-May 2009. The import shrank 2% to $954.5 million. The oblast posted trade surplus of $929.1 million ($113.7 million in January-May 2009). The export went up due to an increase in the supplies of potash fertilizers (2.4 times), trucks and spare parts to them (2.7 times), sugar (2.3 times). The import downsized due to the stoppage of crude oil deliveries from Russia. At the same time the Minsk Oblast increased the import of cane raw sugar, ferrous metals and products made of them, machinery and equipment, internal combustion engines, fertilizers, organic and chemical compounds. The oblast mainly exported the products of the chemical industry including potash fertilizers (54.9% of the total export), transport vehicles (13.7%), animal products (8.5%), food, alcohol and soft beverages (5%). The oblast imported machinery and equipment (24.6%), basic metals and products made of them (16%). Russia accounted for 31.8% of the total export, other CIS countries – 7.9%, the EU – 13.4%. The import from Russia made up 29.7% of the total, with 33.8% from the EU.

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