Lithuania's exports grow 28.8 percent, imports up 29.3 percent

Lithuania's foreign trade deficit last year widened by 33.6 percent to 9.235 billion litas, according to final data based on customs declarations and Intrastat reports.

Excluding mineral products, the country's exports increased by 25.4 percent, and imports by 27.3 percent. Exports of Lithuanian-made goods alone rose by 25.1 percent; excluding mineral products, the increase was 20.5 percent.

Statistics Lithuania attributed the growth in overall exports in 2011 to increased exports of oil products (up 39.8 percent), vehicles (up 42.8 percent) and fertilizers (up 61.1 percent).

The rise in imports was mainly due to increased imports of oil (up 27.6 percent), vehicles (up 54.3 percent), and boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances (up 34.4 percent).

Russia remained Lithuania's biggest export partner last year, accounting for 16.6 percent of all exports, followed by Latvia with 10.2 percent, Germany with 9.3 percent, and Poland with 6.9 percent.

Russia also topped the import rankings, with 32.1 percent of all imports, followed by Germany with 10 percent, Poland with 9.1 percent and Latvia with 6.6 percent.

Mineral products were the key commodity group, both in terms of exports and imports, accounting for 25.5 percent of all exports and 34.3 percent of all imports, followed by machinery and mechanical appliances with 10.4 percent and 12.3 percent, and products of the chemical or allied industries with 9.2 percent and 10.3 percent, respectively.