DUSHANBE, May 16, 2014, Asia-Plus -- Over the first four months of this year, the external trade turnover of Tajikistan, including electrical power and natural gas, has amounted to some 1.6 billion U.S. dollars, which was 96.7 percent of the January-April 2013 level or nearly 54.2 million U.S. dollars fewer, according the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan.

The trade balance was negative and amounted to more than 1 billion U.S. dollars.

Over the first four months of this year, exports of goods have amounted to some 280 million U.S. dollars, which was 37 percent fewer than in the same period last year.

Over the same four-month period, imports of goods into the country have amounted to more than 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, which was 9.1 percent more than in January-April 2013.   

In January-April this year, Tajikistan has had trade relations with 80 countries of the world, including ten CIS nations.

Over the report period, Tajikistan’s major trading partners were: Russia – some 465 million U.S. dollars; Kazakhstan – more than 275 million U.S. dollars; China – 172 million U.S. dollars; and Turkey – some 123 million U.S. dollars, the Agency for Statistics said.

We will recall that in 2013 the external trade turnover of Tajikistan amounted to some 5 billion U.S. dollars, which was 102.9 percent of the 2012 level or 146.7 million U.S. dollars more.