DUSHANBE, July 18, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Over the first six months of this year, the external trade turnover of Tajikistan, including electrical power and natural gas, has amounted to 2.43 billion U.S. dollars, which was 109.7 percent of the January-June 2011 level or 213 million U.S. dollars more, according to the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan.

The trade balance was negative and amounted to more than 1.9 billion U.S. dollars.

Exports of goods over the first six months of this year have amounted to 670 million U.S. dollars, which is 2.5 percent or 16.8 million U.S. dollars fewer than in January-June of 2011.

Imports of goods into the country over the report period have amounted to 1.76 billion U.S. dollars, which is 15.1 percent or 230 million dollars more than in January-June of 2011.

In January-June of 2012, Tajikistan had trade relations with 89 countries of the world, including ten CIS nations.

 Compared to January-June of 2011 export of non-precious metals have decreased over the report period by 22.7 percent.

 In January-June 2012, Tajikistan’s major export partners were: Turkey – 36.6 percent (of the overall volume of Tajikistan’s exports); China – 18.9 percent; Afghanistan – 8.6 percent.

Tajikistan’s major import partners in January-June of 2012 were: Russia – 24.5 percent; Kazakhstan – 16.2 percent; China – 10.2 percent; the Virgin Irelands – 4.5 percent.