Saturday, March 31 2018 14:19

ArmInfo. The annual dynamics of  the foreign trade turnover between Armenia and Russia in  January-February 2018 accelerated the rate of annual growth to 28.7%  (against 23.2% growth in 2017), amounting to $ 306.7 million.

Russia  retains the primacy not only in this indicator, but and on exports  and imports - $ 90.1 million and $ 216.6 million, respectively, with  the acceleration of growth in imports from 14.7% to 25.7% while  slowing growth in exports from 53% to 36.7%.

According to the Armenian National Statistical data, the second  position on foreign trade turnover with Armenia continues to be  occupied by China, which slowed the annual growth from 51.4% to 26%,  with the volume of $ 102.2 million. In particular, the volume of  exports of Armenian goods to China decreased by 8.2% (against growth  of 15.3% a year earlier) to $ 16.3 million, while import grew by  35.6% (against growth of 65.9% a year earlier) to $ 85.9 million (the  second position is held).

The third position on foreign trade turnover with Armenia is taken by  Switzerland, with annual growth of 2.2 times (against growth of 21.2  times a year earlier) to $ 96.97 million. In particular, the volume  of export of Armenian goods to Switzerland increased by 92.8% (  against growth of 299.5 times a year earlier) to $ 65.7 million (2nd  position) with import growth 3 times (against growth of 5.2 times a  year earlier) to $ 31.2 million.

The fourth and fifth positions on foreign trade turnover with Armenia  are occupied by Germany and Bulgaria - $ 65.3 million and $ 53.1  million, respectively. Moreover, the annual dynamics of foreign trade  turnover between Armenia and Germany in January-February 2018  increased by 64.1% from a 2% decline in 2017, and between Armenia and  Bulgaria, the growth rate slowed from 33.3% to 29, 3%. In particular,  the volume of exports of Armenian goods to Germany amounted to $ 27.1  million (an annual growth of 21.7%) with imports of $ 38.2 million  (annual growth of 2.2 times), and Bulgaria - respectively $ 43.96  million (annual growth of 19, 3%) and $ 9.1 million (annual growth of  2.2 times).

By volume of exports in January-February this year after Russia,  Switzerland and Bulgaria occupy the second and third positions, and  China and Germany follow Russia's imports.

The main buyers of Armenian goods in January-February 2018 were  Russia - 23.3% in exports, Switzerland - 17%, Bulgaria - 11.4%,  Germany - 7%, Iraq - 5.2%, the Netherlands - 5.1%, Iran - 5%, the  United Arab Emirates - 4.5%, China - 4.2%. The main suppliers of  imported products to Armenia were Russia - 30.4% in total imports,  China- 12,1%, Germany - 5,4%, the USA - 4,8%, Switzerland - 4,4%,  Turkey - 4%, Iran - 3,9%, Italy - 3,1%, UAE - 2, 4%. The exports to  Romania, Cyprus, Sweden and Brazil are completely nulled, and zero  imports are recorded only for Iraq. The most impressive annual  decline in export volumes was observed between Armenia and  Turkmenistan - by 74.3%, and imports - between Armenia and Belgium -  by 43.7%.

Among the dominant items of Armenian exports, annual growth was  recorded for mineral products - by 38.5% to $ 117.1 million, finished  food products - by 22.8% to $ 79.5 million, precious and semiprecious  stones and products - by 47.1% to $ 61.2 million , non-precious  metals and products from them - by 42% to $ 56.2 million, textile  products - 2.3 times to $ 30.1 million, and the decline was recorded  only on wooden products and works of art. For imports, the decline  was recorded only for works of art and oils of vegetable and animal  origin, against which the dominant imports increased: mineral raw  materials by 3.8% to $ 125.6 million, machinery / equipment /  machinery by 87.4% to $ 117.5 million, precious metals and metal  products - by 53.5% to $ 54.1 million, finished food products - by  43.7% to $ 52.9 million, base metals and articles made from them - by  71.6% to $ 49.3 million, vehicles - 3.1 times to $ 47.3 million,  textile products - by 16.4% to $ 42.5 million. Chemical products in  both exports and imports demonstrated and growth - by 18.5% and  45.8%, respectively, to $ 4.2 million and $ 65.2 million.

In total, Armenia's foreign trade turnover in January-February 2018  increased by 43.2% per annum, making 512.4 billion drams ($ 1098.4  million). In its structure, the volume of exports has undergone an  annual growth of 41% to 186.4 billion drams ($ 386.9 million), and  imports - an annual growth of 44.4% to 326 billion drams ($ 711.5  million). A year earlier, in January-February 2017, foreign trade  turnover increased by 22.2% due to an increase in exports by 20.1%  and imports by 23.5%. Armenia's economic activity in January-February  2018 accelerated its annual growth rate to 8.6% from 6.2% in the same  period in 2017.

The average calculated exchange rate for the dram was 481.88 AMD / $  1 in January-February and 481.38 AMD / $ 1 in February 2018, compared  to 486.26 AMD / $ 1 in January-February 2017 and 486.51 AMD / $ 1 -  in February 2017.