Russian trade surplus grows 4.9% to $17.376 bln in Nov - CBR
MOSCOW. Jan 13 (Interfax) - Russia's foreign trade surplus grew 4.9% in November 2011 to $17.376 billion, compared to $16.56 billion in October, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) said on its website.
November exports increased 3.8% to $47.702 billion from $45.947 billion in October and a new absolute maximum. Previously, month export volume had never topped $46 billion, and it had only exceeded $45 billion three times: in August of 2008 ($45.668 billion), April 2011 ($45.884 billion), and this past October.
November imports were up 3.2% to a record $30.326 billion from $29.387 billion in October. Import volume has only topped $30 billion twice, the other time being in August 2011 ($30.111 billion).
Russia had a January-November 2011 trade surplus of $178.782 billion, which was 31.4% more year-on-year ($136.110 billion in January-November 2010).
January-November exports climbed 31.8% year-on-year to $471.451 billion from $357.768 billion, while imports rose 32.0% to $292.669 billion from $221.658 billion.
According to the current accounts report the CBR released on Thursday, Russia's trade surplus for last year entire had grown 30.6% from 2010 to $198.1 billion, the largest it had ever been.
Exports last year are estimated at $521.4 billion, or 30.6% more than in 2010, and imports are put at $323.3 billion, or 30.0% more.