January-February trade deficit close to $300m

Exports over January-February this year totaled $168.1 million, a 19.1% decrease compared with the corresponding period last year, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting the National Bureau of Statistics. Exports to the European Union member states came to $95.2 million, down 15.6% compared with January-February 2008. They made up 56.6% of the total exports, as against 54.3% in the same period last year. Exports to the CIS countries made up 32.9%, as opposed to 37.4% in January-February last year. They added up to $55.3 million, a 28.8% fall year on year. According to the Bureau, exports to Ukraine fell by 53.3%, to Russia – by 20.1%, to Romania – by 14.0%, to Italy – by 20.2%, to Germany – by 36.9%, to Kazakhstan – by 57.9%, to the United States – by 67.0%, to France – by 14.8%, to Poland – by 15.9%, to Bulgaria – by 34.0%, to Belarus – by 6.0%, to Turkey – by 12.5%, to Austria – by 28.1%, to Belgium – by %, to Sweden – by 19.7%. The exports of common metals and objects from such metals decreased by 83.5%, of textiles and textile items – by 24.4%, of objects from stone, plaster, cement, clay, glass and similar materials – by 64.8%, of footwear, hats and umbrellas – by 46.1%, of food products, drinks and tobacco – by 10%, etc. Imports over the first two months of this year came to $459.7 million, a decrease of 27.3% compared with the corresponding period last year. Imports from the EU totaled about $159 million, down 41.9% compared with January-February last year. They made up 34.6% of the total imports, as against 43.4% in January-February 2008. Imports from the CIS states amounted to $199.9 million, a decrease of 15.5% compared with the corresponding period last year. They constituted 43.5% of the total imports compared to 37.4% in the same period of 2008. Moldova’s imports of units of transport and transport materials, machines and apparatuses, electrical equipment, plastic materials, rubber and objects from rubber, food, beverages and tobacco, textiles and textile items, wood and wooden objects have declined. The considerable discrepancy in exports and imports during January-February this year has led to the accumulation of a balance-of-trade deficit of $291.6 million, down $132.9 million compared with the same period last year. The trade deficit with the EU was $64 million, while with the CIS countries - $144.6 million.