Russian trade surplus widened 25.6% to $130.6 bln in 2017 - customs
MOSCOW. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Russia's trade surplus widened 25.5% or $26.5 billion in 2017 to $130.6 billion, the Federal Customs Service (FCS) said.
Foreign trade turnover totaled $587.6 billion, up 24.7% year-on-year.
Exports soared 24.8% to $359.1 billion while imports increased 24.5% to $228.5 billion.
Fuel and energy exports accounted for 63.2% of overall exports to non-CIS countries, up from 62.1% in the same period of last year. They grew 27.1% by value and 1.7% in volume.
Metals accounted for 10.2% of exports to the non-CIS, up from 9.8% a year ago and machinery and equipment exports fell to 6.4% from 7.3%.
Russian imports from non-CIS countries consisted mainly of machinery and equipment at 51.8% of the total, up from 50.1% in 2016, rising 28.6% in value. Chemical imports fell to 18.3% from 19.1% in overall imports from the CIS and food and ingredients to 1.5% from 12.6%.
The EU accounted for 42.2% of Russian trade turnover in 2017, down from 42.8% in 2016; CIS countries - 12.4%, up from 12.3%; EAEU countries - 8.7%, up from 8.5%; and APEC countries - 30.5%, up from 29.9%.
Russia's main trading partners from non-CIS countries in 2017 were: China, trade with which grew 31.5% to $87 billion; Germany, rising 22.8% to $50 billion; the Netherlands, up 22.4% to $39.5 billion; Italy, up 20.8% to $24 billion; the United States, up 16.2% to $23.2 billion; Turkey, up 37.2% to $21.6 billion; South Korea, up 27.5% to $19.3 billion; Japan, up 13.9% to $18.3 billion; Poland, up 25.9% to $16.5 billion, and France, up 16.5% to $15.5 billion.