Vitebsk region leads among Belarus's regions in export growth rate in January-October

December 10, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. The Vitebsk region leads in export growth rate among the regions of Belarus based on the results of January-October of the current year, the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Economy Committee informed a BELTA correspondent. For 10 months, supplies of goods to the foreign market, excluding oil and petroleum products, reached $868 million, or 72.6% compared to the same period last year. For the republic as a whole, the export growth rate for this period was 58.3%. The monthly increase in foreign sales of the Vitebsk region is 1.7-2.4 percentage points. Imports in January-October reached $723.7 million, or 73% compared to the corresponding period in 2008. A positive balance of foreign trade in goods amounted to $144.3 million. The main decline in sales was recorded by OJSC Naftan, OJSC Polotsk-Steklovolokno, Orsha Linen Mill, OJSC KIM, Belvest, Marko, OJSC Vitebskdrev, Krasnaya Zvezda paper mill, as well as most industrial enterprises (RUPP Vityaz, Krasny Borets machine-tool plant, etc.). At the same time, the largest reduction in supplies (by 28.7%) was observed to the Russian Federation, which accounts for 60.8% of total exports. In January-October, enterprises and organizations of the Vitebsk region supplied their goods to 76 countries worldwide, as well as to 73 regions of the Russian Federation. Based on the results of 2009, the export growth rate of goods in the Vitebsk region is expected to be 73.3%, and imports - 73%. The positive balance of trade in goods should amount to $155 million.