Russian imports from non-CIS rise 36.5% to $11.1 bln in January - customs
MOSCOW. Feb 8 (Interfax) - Russia imported goods worth $11.149 billion from non-CIS countries in January 2017, an increase of 36.4% compared with the same month last year, the Federal Customs Service (FCS) said on Wednesday.
The growth was largely due to the low comparison basis: imports were down 17.9% year-on-year to $8.1 billion in January 2016, down 40.8% to $9.9 billion in January 2015 and down 1.4% to $16.7 billion in January 2014.
Russia imported $162.865 billion in goods from the non-CIS in 2016 as a whole, slightly more than in 2015, the FCS said, without providing an exact figure. The FCS previously reported that imports in 2015 totaled $161.571 billion, although it may have since revised that figure.
In January, imports were up 45.0% to $5.277 billion for machine-building products, up 35.7% to $2.105 billion for chemical products, up 27.8% to $828.1 million for textile goods and footwear, and up 20.8% to $1.542 billion for food products, including inputs for the food processing industry.
Among food products, imports increased 80% for grain, 60% for dairy products, 50% for fish, 48.9% for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, 48.8% for vegetable oil, 17.5% for fruits, and 2.5% for meat and variety meat, while imports declined 17.1% for tobacco, 11.5% for sugar and 7.1% for vegetables.
Among chemical goods, imports of pharmaceutical products were up 60%, polymers and rubbers - up 35.8%, soap and detergents - up 31.0%, perfumery and cosmetics - up 26.5%, and organic and inorganic chemical products - up 22.0%.
For textile goods and footwear, imports increased 50% for knit fabric, 42.0% for cotton, 41.7% for textile material, 38.5% for footwear, 29.3% for textile clothing, 21.0% for knitted garments and 19.8% for finished textile products.
For machine-building products, imports doubled for aircraft and aircraft parts, were up 80% for overland transport means, up 50% for optical instruments and tools, up 40.8% for mechanical equipment, up 32.2% for electrical equipment and up 14.2% for rail locomotive parts and equipment. However, imports of ships and other vessels fell 73%.
