Belarus' negative foreign trade balance reached $6.2 billion in 2008

The negative foreign trade balance of Belarus amounted to $6.2 billion in 2008, 44.7 percent up against 2007, Alexander Shpileuski, the chairman of the State Customs Committee of Belaru, said in a statement.
The foreign trade balance with CIS countries was in the negative territory and amounted to 11.6 billion or 48.7 percent up against 2007. The trade balance with the counties outside the Commonwealth of Independent States was in the black and amounted to $5.4 billion against $3.5 billion in 2007.

The Interfax news agency reports that the trade balance with Russia was in the red and amounted to almost $13 billion or 55 percent up against 2007.