Market
Coal claims 40% share in total exports, trade turnover rises 34%
2017-09-05
B.Tugs
The National Statistical Office reports that foreign trade turnover at the end of July reached $5.9 billion, showing an YoY increase of 33.9% or $1.5 billion. In the same period, exports increased by 38.5% or $979 million to stand at $3.5 billion, while imports rose by 27.5% or $504 million and reached $2.3 billion. The foreign trade balance grew 67% YoY, and showed a surplus of $1.2 billion.
Mineral resources accounted for around 82% of total exports, earning $2.9 billion, or over $1billion more YoY. Coal alone was 40% of total exports, fetching $1.4 billion, which was $1.1 billion more YoY. The 21 million tons exported was a 91% rise YoY.
Coal replaced copper concentrate as the leading mineral exported, with export revenue and volume of the latter standing at $888.7 million and 853,000 tonnes respectively. The former was 14% and the latter 10% less YoY. However, copper export earnings increased sharply by 62.4% or $53.4 million, and the export volume by 31.3% or 957,000 tonnes.
As regards gold, there was a 37% YoY decrease in both export revenue and volume, the former reaching $217.7 million and the latter 5.4 tonnes.
At 3.18 million tonnes the volume of iron ore exports was the same as in the corresponding period last year but earnings rose 48% and reached $178 million.
Zinc concentrate export earnings rose by 25% and reached $103 million, even though the volume decreased by 8.5%, totalling 70.2 thousand tonnes.
Revenue from crude oil export rose by 13%, reaching $210.8 million. The volume, however, decreased by 9% and stood at $4.35 million barrels.
Fluorspar concentrate exports showed an increase in both revenue and volume, with 164,700 tonnes exported, which is an increase of 20% YoY, and earnings reaching $41 million, a rise of 28% YoY.
Lead export figures were significant , with earnings showing a sharp increase, rising 73.7 times and reaching $25 million, and the volume going up 22.2 times and reaching 9,900 tonnes.
Molybdenum exports earned 39.4% more to total $20.2 million, while the volume increased by 6.7% and reached 3,600 tons. In tungsten however, exports came down by 50%, with the volume and revenue falling to 303 tons and $2.38 million respectively.