Commercial deficit of Moldova increased by 38.4%

The deficit of the balance of trade increased by more than USD 190 mln as a result of the reduction of export volume of the Republic of Moldova to Russia, Italy and USA. According to the data of the National Bureau of Statistics of Moldova, the difference between exports and imports in the first trimester of 2006 constituted USD 694.5 mln, by 38.4% more compared with the similar period of the last year. The trade deficit could have been higher, if the volume of sold products and services would have not been increased, especially to Ukraine and Romania, experts say. Exports amounted in the first semester to USD 468 mln, by 8.5% lower compared with the same period of 2005. The Russian prohibition on Moldovan wine imports, as well as reduction of the deliveries of Moldovan agro-alimentary products on the Russian market determined the diminishing by 30% of the exports to this country. However, Russian imports from Moldova amount to USD 108.1 mln and this country continues to be in the top of the first 15 export partners of the Republic of Moldova, being followed by Romania (USD 65.5 mln, Ukraine (USD 54.8 mln), Italy (USD 52.8 mln) and Belarus (USD 32 mln). USA is 14th in the list with a volume of imports from Moldova of USD 7.4 mln.