Positive trade balance of Kazakhstan in the I half of 2004 - $2.87 bn.

/REUTERS, Almaty, August 13, 04/ - Kazakhstan statistics agency informs positive external trade balance of Kazakhstan (including CIS countries), in accordance with customs statistics data without unorganized trade, in January-June of 2004 equaled to $2,873.4 m. in comparison with positive balance equaling to $2,459.5 m. in similar period of previous year. Export increased within the same period by 40%, import - by 56%. External trade balance of Kazakhstan (m. USD): ---------------------------------------------- Jan-Jun, 04 Jan-May, 04 Jan-Jun, 03 ------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Export 8,543.1 7,039.8 6,093.8 Import 5,669.7 4,507.9 3,634.3 Balance +2,873.4 +2,531.9 +2,459.5 ---------------------------------------------- Including commerce with CIS countries: ---------------------------------------------- Jan-Jun, 04 Jan-May, 04 Jan-Jun, 03 ------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Export 1,981.3 1,621.8 1,309.3 Import 2,786.3 2,236.2 1,726.7 Balance -805.0 -614.4 -417.4 ---------------------------------------------- 23.2% of export and 49.1% of all import deliveries fell to the stake of CIS countries in the first half of 2004 (21.5% and 47.5% correspondingly in the first half of 2003). Russia remains the major trade partner of Kazakhstan: its stake in total volume of export in this period was 15.8%, and in the volumes of import - 38.2%. [2004-08-13]