28% growth in external trade

The Ukraine Ministry of Economics reports that the latest data from the State Customs Service of Ukraine and State Statistics Committee of Ukraine shows a rapid increase in the country’s volume of external trade for goods and services. Turnover in foreign trade averaged US$56 bn during the period January to June 2010, an increase of 28.2% compared with the same period last year. During this period there was a US$425 m positive balance of trade compared to minus US$491.9 m for the same period last year. Traditionally the biggest exporter by tonnage is metallurgy whose output is up 36.4%, the agricultural sector and food industry is up 18.4%, machine-manufacture up 17.6% and the chemical industry up 7.7%. In the period January to June 2010 the import of the goods and services also increased by 25.8% and averaged US$27.8 bn. Ukraine imports of minerals grew 35.5%, machine-building products up 19.6%, chemical industry 17.1%, agricultural sector 10.5% and metallurgy 6.5%.