MOSCOW, March 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's foreign trade hit $32 billion in January, with a surplus of $11.2 billion, the economics ministry said Monday.
In its economic overview of the country's economic development for January-February, the ministry said that declining world oil prices in January slowed down trade surplus growth. The surplus was 9.5% lower than in January 2006.
Exports were $21.6 billion, a 3.1% growth, year-on-year. Imports totaled $10.4 billion. "Import growth was 37.5% in January," the ministry said.
Import growth was boosted by thriving investment activity and the appreciation of the ruble's real effective rate, 1.5% in January.
Investment in Russia's fixed assets grew 23.2% in January, year-on-year, and 13.7% in 2006.
