ARMENIAN TRADE DEFICIT UP 44% IN 2006

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
February 5, 2007 Monday 10:32 AM MSK

The Armenian trade deficit in 2006 amounted to $1.19 billion, up 44%
from 2005.

A source in the Armenian National Statistics Service told Interfax that
the republic’s foreign trade in the reporting period increased 15.2%
to $3.198 billion, including $2.194 billion in imports (up 21.8%),
and exports $1.004 billion (up 3.1%).

Trade with the European Union in 2006 increased 13.9% to $1.093
billion, and with the CIS – 28.4% to $911 million, with other countries
trade amounted to $1.194 billion.

The main buyers of Armenian products are Germany (14.7% of total
exports), the Netherlands (12.6%), Russia (12.1%), Belgium (10.8%),
Israel (10.6%), Switzerland (7.2%), the U.S. (6.5%), and Georgia
(5.4%).

The main importers into Armenia are Russia (13.9% of total imports),
Turkmenistan (7.7%), Ukraine (7.5%), Germany (6.6%), Belgium (5.5%),
Iran (5.2%), China (5.1%), the U.S. (4.9%), and Israel (4%).