MOSCOW, September 10. /TASS/. Russia’s foreign trade surplus increased by 20.25% in January-July 2024 year-on-year to $87.9 bln, according to data published by the Federal Customs Service.

Exports rose by $1.8 bln in the reporting period to $241 bln, while imports fell by $13 bln to $153.1 bln. Consequently, Russia’s trade turnover contracted by 2.8% in January-July 2024 year-on-year to $394.1 bln.

Exports to European countries lost 30.6% to $37.4 bln while imports decreased by 11.6% to $41.5 bln. That said, Russian exports to Asian countries added 8.5% to $181.6 bln while imports from those countries went down by 5.9% to $101.1 bln.

Exports to African countries gained 27.1% to $14.3 bln, while imports were flat compared with the same period last year at $2 bln.

Russian exports to the Americas rose by 13.5% to $7.6 bln, while imports from those countries fell by 12.3% to $8.1 bln.

The share of mineral commodities in the export structure was the largest in the reporting period reaching $150.5 bln (+3.6%). Metals and articles made therefrom were the second-biggest export item, with supplies having lost 3.8% to $32.8 bln, followed by agriculture products amounting to $23.9 bln (-4.6%).

Machines, equipment and transport vehicles were the largest import article. Meanwhile their imports fell by 6.9% in the period to $77 bln. Shares of chemical products and agriculture products were the second-and third-biggest in the import structure, having reached $29.7 bln (-10.9%) and $21.1 bln (-0.8%), respectively.