Belarus's foreign trade turnover grows 2.2% in Jan-April, deficit reaches $0.9 bln

MINSK. June 26 (Interfax) - Belarus's foreign trade balance showed a deficit of $856 million in January-April 2025 compared to a deficit of $92.6 million a year earlier, according to statistics from the country's National Bank.

The foreign trade deficit amounted to $632.7 million in January-March.

The foreign trade deficit in January-April resulted from a 0.3% decline in exports to $15.41 billion, while imports grew 4.7% to $16.27 billion.

The total foreign trade turnover of goods and services for 4M increased 2.2% to $31.68 billion.

The trade deficit in goods reached $1.98 billion, increasing 1.9-fold. Exports of goods fell 3.7% to $12.14 billion, while imports rose 3.5% to $14.11 billion. Goods trade turnover increased 0.1% to $26.45 billion.

The surplus in services trade grew 17.8% to $1.12 billion. Exports of services amounted to $3.28 billion, up 14.7%, while their imports grew 13.2% to $2.15 billion. Services trade turnover reached $5.43 billion, up 14.1%.

It was previously reported that experts from the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) attribute the decline in Belarusian exports to reduced deliveries to the key Russian market, due to increased competition and weaker demand amid high interest rates in Russia.

Belarus posted a foreign trade deficit of $1.309 billion in 2024, compared to a surplus of $246.4 million in 2023. Foreign trade turnover grew 5.1% last year to $100.1 billion.

According to Belarus's targeted forecast for socio-economic development, export growth of goods and services is planned at 5.4% in 2025.