DATE:
08/05/2009
MINSK. May 8 (Interfax) - Belarus saw its foreign trade deficit balloon some 565% in the first quarter of 2009 to $1.445 billion, the National Bank said on its website.
The foreign trade deficit for goods totaled $1.78 billion in the quarter, while the foreign trade surplus for services came to $335 million.
Belarusian exports declined 46% to $4.839 billion in the first quarter with exports of goods falling 48.9% to $4.116 billion and the export of services dropping 21.5% to $723.6 million.
Imports to Belarus fell 31.6% to $6.284 billion in the period with imports of goods declining 32.2% to $5.896 billion and the import of services decreasing 20.2% to $388.6 million.
Belarus had a foreign trade deficit of $4.4 billion in 2008, while the government had predicted a deficit of $1.4 billion-$1.42 billion. In 2009, the government has set the goal of lowering the deficit to $1.47 billion-$1.5 billion.
Source:
http://www.interfax.com/3/492548/news.aspx
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