Russia’s foreign trade surplus grew by 17 percent in January-May 2012 year-on-year to $100.7 billion, the Federal Customs Service said on Tuesday.
“The trade balance was positive at $100.7 billion or by $14.6 billion more than in January-May 2011,” the Federal Customs Service said in a statement.
Imports into Russia grew by 5.2 percent in January-May 2012 compared with the same period last year to $119.9 billion, while exports from Russia rose 10.3 percent to $220.6 billion, increasing the country’s foreign trade turnover by 8.4 percent to $340.5 billion.
Fuel and energy products accounted for 73.8 percent of Russia’s exports to countries other than former Soviet republics in January-May 2012, matching the commodity export structure registered in the same period last year.
Fuel and energy exports to former Soviet republics edged up by 1.2 percentage points to 58.8 percent of overall exports to these countries.
