The export surplus was at a very high level and ensured stable replenishment of Russia's foreign currency reserves, the Ministry notes.
In January-April 2005 Russia's total foreign trade amounted to $106.6 billion and increased by 34.5% as against the same period of last year, specifically with non-CIS countries - by 38.3% to reach $90.6 billion, and with CIS countries - by 16.3% to $16 billion.
The export of goods amounted to $72.6 billion, which is 39.5% more than in January-April 2004. The share of non-CIS countries in total export augmented from 84.2% to 87.2%, while the CIS countries' share diminished correspondingly from 15.8% to 12.8%.
"The increase of Russian export's value is linked first of all with the rise of the world prices of the most important raw-material commodities and especially the energy products," the experts of the Ministry of Economic Development believe.
According to the Ministry's estimate, the import of goods in January-April 2005 ran into $34 billion, having increased by 24.9% compared to the same period of 2004. The proportion of non-CIS countries in total import went up from 79.6% to 80.3%, while the CIS countries' share, conversely, fell from 20.4% to 19.7%.
By the Federal Customs Service's data, machines, equipment and means of transportation held the main place in the commodity structure of the import from non-CIS countries in January-March 2005. They accounted for 44.7% of the total import from these countries.
