Xifres de comerç exterior de Bielorússia

Foreign Trade in Figures

The Belarusian economy is predominantly state-owned, with over 70% of GDP generated by public or parastatal enterprises. Simultaneously, it remains highly open to international trade, which constitutes 133% of its GDP (World Bank, latest data available). Belarus exports a variety of products including oil and petroleum products, fertilizers, trucks and tractors, spare parts, milk and cheese, meat products, furniture and timber, and tyres. A significant portion of its manufactured goods, over 60%, is exported to foreign markets. Notably, the mechanical engineering industry plays a crucial role, with 75% of goods in this segment sold outside the country (official governmental data). On the import side, Belarus primarily brings in cars (23.1%), broadcasting equipment (3.5%), video displays (2.5%), packaged medicaments (2.5%), and light rubberized knitted fabric (2.2% - data by OEC).

Excluding Russia, which is the main trading partner, in 2023, Belarus' major export destinations included China (34.2%), Kazakhstan (9.9%), Uzbekistan (6.7%), Poland (5.9%), and Brazil (5.5%). Conversely, imports were chiefly sourced from China (32.7%), Poland (16.0%), Germany (11.5%), Lithuania (10.3%), and Turkey (9.4% - data OEC). Due to historical ties from the Soviet era, Belarus' economy remains heavily concentrated on the Russian market, serving as both a major outlet and supplier. Recent developments have seen strengthened trade relations with China, particularly through Beijing's New Silk Road project. However, the European Union, Belarus' second-largest trading partner, withheld ratification of the bilateral partnership and cooperation agreement due to concerns over "Belarus' lack of commitment to democracy and political and civil rights”.

Belarus' trade balance has experienced fluctuations in recent years. In 2023, exports amounted to USD 40.1 billion (+5.1% y-o-y) for goods and USD 8.6 billion (-6.5%) for commercial services, while imports totalled USD 43.2 billion (+12.9% y-o-y) for goods and USD 5.9 billion (17.8%) for commercial services (data by WTO). The World Bank reports Belarus registered a trade surplus of 0.6% of GDP in 2023 (from 6.1% one year earlier).  Preliminary figures from Belstat indicate that in 2024, the foreign trade turnover for goods and services increased by 5.1% y-o-y, exceeding USD 100 billion, with exports at USD 49.4 billion and imports totalling USD 50.7 billion.