DUSHANBE, November 16, 2009, Asia-Plus — In January-October 2009, the external trade turnover of Tajikistan, including electrical power and natural gas, has amounted to 2.8621 billion U.S. dollars, which was 72.8 percent of the January-October 2008 level or 1.0717 billion dollars fewer, according to the State Committee for Statistics.
The trade balance was negative and mounted to 1.2507 billion US dollars.
Exports of goods in January-October 2009 amounted to 805.7 million US dollars, which was 35.5 percent, or 442.7 million dollars, fewer than in the same period of 2008.
Imports of goods into the country over the report period have amounted to 2.0564 billion US dollars, which was 23.4.7 percent, or 629 million dollars, fewer than in January-October 2008.
Compared to September 2009, exports decreased last month by 17.3 percent, while imports in October increased by 16.2 percent..
In January-October 2009, Tajikistan had trade relations with 95 countries of the world, including 10 CIS states. Over the report period the CIS countries accounted for 46.7 percent (1.3356 billion dollars) of Tajikistan’s external trade turnover and the far abroad countries accounted for 53.3 percent (1.5265 billion dollars) of the country’s external trade turnover.
Share of primary aluminum accounted for 50.9 percent of Tajikistan’s exports in January-October 2009. Over the report period, Tajikistan has exported aluminum for 472,844 million dollars.
Electrical power accounted for 4.6 percent of Tajikistan’s external trade turnover in the report period. In January-October this year, Tajikistan has exported 4.0164 billion kWh of electricity for 60.2 million U.S. dollars. Over the same ten-month period, Tajikistan has imported 4.0775 billion kWh of electrical power for 72 million U.S. dollars.
Over the report period, Tajikistan has imported 188.7 million cubic meters of natural gas from Uzbekistan for 45.3 million U.S. dollars.
Share of cotton fiber accounted for 8.5 percent of Tajikistan’s exports in January-October 2009. Over the report period, Tajikistan exported 63,500 tons of cotton fiber for 68.8 million U.S. dollars, which is 3,000 tons and 20.7 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 – 42 percent; Iran – 26.1 percent; Latvia – 5.2 percent; Belarus – 5.1 percent; Turkey – 5.0 percent; Uzbekistan – 4.8; Ukraine – 4.0 percent; Pakistan – 3.6 percent; Switzerland – 1.7 percent; Bulgaria – 0.9 percent; and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – 0.5 percent; and Lithuania – 0.4 percent.
Compared to January-October 2008, an average price of one ton of cotton fiber decreased by $260 and amounted to $1,706.
