Trade between Belarus and Ukraine to exceed $5bln in 2008

In 2008, the trade between Belarus and Ukraine will exceed $5 billion, First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko said. The First Vice Premier is the head of the Belarusian delegation at the 15th session of the Intergovernmental Belarusian-Ukrainian Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation which is being held in Kiev on October 6-7.

According to Vladimir Semashko, for the recent five years, the trade between Belarus and Ukraine has increased more than five times. In 2002, for instance, the trade between the two countries made up $560 million.

Over the eight months 2008, the trade between Belarus and Ukraine reached $3 billion 550 million, two times more as against the same period of last year. The Belarusian exports increased 2.5 times to make up $2.1 billion, the imports increased 1.5 times to make up $1.45 billion. Belarus posted a surplus in trade with Ukraine at the amount of $639 million.

According to Vladimir Semashko, jointly with the basic producers, representatives of the commodity distribution network of the Belarusian companies in Ukraine play an important role to achieve such results.

On October 6, in Kiev Vladimir Semashko had a meeting with the Belarusian trade dealers of such Belarusian companies as MAZ, BelAZ, Gomselmash, Vityaz, Atlant, Santa-Bremor and others. All in all, taking part in the meeting were around 40 dealers and representatives of Belarusian companies-exporters. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Ukraine Valentin Velichko, Belarusian Industry Minister Anatoly Rusetsky, the deputies of the governors of the Brest and Gomel oblasts of Belarus took part in the session as well.

Belarus ranks seventh on Ukraine’s trade partners main list. In turn, Ukraine is the second partner of Belarus in terms of the trade turnover. All in all, Belarus supplies around 2 thousand kinds of Belarusian goods to Ukraine.

Belarus’ main exports to Ukraine are ready-made consumer products of the machine construction, petrochemical and construction branches, foodstuffs, tractors and trucks, spare parts for them, refrigerators and freezers, elevators, oil products, tires, potash fertilizers, cord fabric, synthetic fibers, ceramic tile, wooden construction materials, wall papers, glass, sausages, fish products and others.

Belarus imports metal products, parts to assemble various equipment, oil cake, sunflower oil to produce fodder, gas turbines, carriages from Ukraine.