Committee for Economy: Vitebsk region almost doubled trade turnover with Russian regions in 2021
Enterprises of the Vitebsk region are developing cooperation with partners from 75 regions of all federal districts of Russia, with organizations of the Central Federal District accounting for about 67% of all Vitebsk exports to Russia. In 2021, products worth $1.2 billion were exported, with a growth rate exceeding 140%. Consumer goods predominated in the structure of export supplies (46%), of which 22.6% were food products, and another 23.4% were non-food products. According to tradition, manufacturers from the Vitebsk region most actively supply petrochemicals (polyethylene, chemical fibers, fiberglass), dairy products, knitwear, carpets and sewing products, footwear, linen fabrics, and machine tools.
The Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee pays great attention to the development of interregional ties and the formation of a contractual base for expanding foreign trade cooperation and implementing joint projects in the economy. Currently, there are 26 bilateral agreements between the regional executive committee and Russian partners, and over 100 more documents are held by districts and cities. In 2021, joint work plans were signed with the administrations of the Pskov and Volgograd regions, as well as the government of the Stavropol Territory. The documents specify the lists of joint measures in the economic and social spheres and allow for the development of dialogue between economic entities.
According to the results of 2021, the share of the Russian Federation in the foreign trade turnover of the Vitebsk region was 65.8%, including about 48% of the total volume of Vitebsk products exported to the Russian market, and the share of Russian partners in imports was 77.5%.