DUSHANBE, May 19, 2009, Asia-Plus — Over the first four months of this year, the external trade turnover of Tajikistan, including electrical power and natural gas, has amounted to 1.169 billion U.S. dollars, which was 79,1 percent of the January-April 2008 level or 306.4 million dollars fewer, according to the State Committee for Statistics.
The trade balance was negative and mounted to 607.6 million US dollars.
Exports of goods in January-April 2009 amounted to 277.7 million US dollars, which was 41.1 percent, or 193.9 million dollars, fewer than in the same period of 2008.
Imports of goods into the country over the report period have amounted to 885.2 million US dollars, which was 11.3 per cent or 112.5 million dollars fewer than in January-April 2008.
Compared to March 2009 exports and imports last month increased by 91.6 percent and 32.1 percent respectively.
In January-April 2009, Tajikistan had trade relations with 81 countries of the world, including 10 CIS states. Over the report period the CIS countries accounted for 45.4 percent, or 528.4 million dollars, of Tajikistan’s external trade turnover and the far abroad countries accounted for 54.6 percent, or 634.5 million dollars.
Electrical power accounted for 4.7 percent of Tajikistan’s external trade turnover in the report period. In January-April this year, Tajikistan has exported 931.3 million kWh of electricity for 14.6 million U.S. dollars. Over the same four-month period, Tajikistan has imported 1.896.4 billion kWh of electrical power for 39.8 million U.S. dollars.
Over the report period, Tajikistan has imported 102.5 million cubic meters of natural gas from Uzbekistan for 24.6 million U.S. dollars.
Share of cotton fiber accounted for 10.4 percent of Tajikistan’s exports in January-April 2009. Over the report period, Tajikistan exported 28,200 tons of cotton fiber for 28.9 million U.S. dollars, which is 12,500 tons and 1.5 million U.S. dollars fewer than in the same period of last year.
The main trading partners of Tajikistan in regard to its cotton were: Russia – 32.4 percent; Iran – 19.3 percent; Belarus – 10.6 percent; Uzbekistan – 10.3 percent; Latvia – 10 percent; Ukraine – 4.5 percent; Pakistan – 4.3 percent; Switzerland – 3.9 percent; Bulgaria – 2.1 percent; the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – 0.9 percent; Lithuania – 0.8 percent; Austria – 0.6 percent; and the United States – 0.3 percent.
