Foreign trade deficit skyrockets to over US$ 1 bln since year-start

Ukraine's foreign trade balance in January-March 2021 was reduced with a deficit of $1.05 billion, the State Statistics Service reports.

In the same period in 2020, the deficit stood at $246.6 million, the agency wrote on its website.

Imports of goods and services during the reporting period increased by 12.9%, to $16.8 billion, while exports rose by 7.6%, to $15.8 billion.

The stats agency says the report takes no account of the occupied Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as the occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions from where no data is available.

Read alsoForeign trade in goods grows by 20% in Jan-AprilBackground

• Ukraine's foreign trade balance for 2019 was reduced with a deficit of $3.633 billion, which is 41% lower than the deficit seen in 2018, the State Statistics Service said.
• According to the National Bank, the balance of foreign trade in goods and services of Ukraine for 2019 was reduced with a deficit of $12.117 billion, which is 7% more on year
• Ukraine's foreign trade balance for January-December 2020 saw a deficit of $255.5 million against $3.689 billion reported at the end of 2019, the stats service said.
• As of February 1, 2021, the balance of foreign trade in goods and services of Ukraine for 2020 was reduced with a deficit of $1.677 billion against a deficit of $12.5 billion a year earlier.