Government Forecasts Negative Merchandise Trade Balance for 2007, 2008
31 July 2008
Economy Minister Anatoliy Kinakh announced his ministry’s forecasts for the negative merchandise trade balance in the next two years: USD 5.7-9.2 bln in 2007 and USD 3.7 bln in 2008. Our estimate for the year end merchandise trade deficit is USD 7.7 bln, right in the middle of the government’s range. We project the total trade deficit in 2007 at USD 6.2 bln (including a positive balance of services trade of USD 1.5 bln).
