Arkhangelsk to promote foreign trade

Some key figures related to the Arkhangelsk Customs activity in January-May 2011 were announced: goods turnover through the Arkhangelsk Customs has increased by 27% a reached 1664 thousand tons, foreign trade turnover amounted to 644.2 mln USD that is by 47% than over the same period last year, with export growth by 70% (592.5 mln USD) and import reduction by 42.2% (51.7 mln USD).

The official web-page of the North-western Directorate of the Federal Customs Service writes that the positive dynamics for the export component was provided, first of all, by the 6.7 times increase in transhipment of oil products through the Arkhangelsk port comparing to the same period last year. Nevertheless, the major share in the export structure is still represented by timber products. It accounts for 58% of all the export deliveries. This year import of ferrous metals has grown significantly - 2.5 times. At the same time, import of equipment and mechanisms has reduced by more than 50%.

Passenger traffic through the Arkhangelsk airport is also growing. Since the beginning of the year customs control and customs operations have been performed with relation to 293 aircrafts and 25470 passengers and crew members, which is more than 2 times more than the figures from the same period last year. The passenger traffic this year is expected to exceed the result of 2010 - 74000 people, writes IA REGNUM.

Over five months of 2011 the Arkhangelsk customs has given almost 1.9 bln rubles to the federal budget, which is by 61% more than in the same period last year. More than 90% of the sum has been delivered by the Pomor customs station where the Arkhangelsk sea port is located. This year the Pomor customs station has performed customs operation and customs control with reference to 281 merchant ships. Comparing to the same period last year the number of container transshipments has been growing, however the quantity of transshipped containers (504 pcs) does not allow to speak of Arkhangelsk port as being too attractive for container traffic.

A draft Concept for external-economic activity development in the Arkhangelsk Oblast up to 2015 was presented at the meeting as one of the measures to stimulate the development of foreign trade activities, informs News29. The document had been developed by the Ministry of economic development of the Arkhangelsk Oblast with consideration of suggestions from the Arkhangelsk customs. The main idea of the document is to create conditions for attraction of direct foreign investments to the region, to promote export and develop relevant infrastructure for the external-economic activity in the Arkhangelsk Oblast. The regional Government is planning to achieve the set goals, first of all, through establishment of techno parks available for implementation of investors’ projects, and also development of transportation and logistic infrastructure.