Soaring imports into Russia registered in...

Imports into Russia grew 20% in October-November 2009 compared with the third quarter, a record rate since 2006. Russia"s trade surplus was almost unchanged in the fourth quarter of 2009 (an increase of 2% to $34 billion), whereas it grew 25% in the previous two quarters, Vedomosti said, citing the Central Bank"s data.

Russia"s exports, which fell sharply in the first half of 2009 due to the global economic crisis amid reduced world demand for hydrocarbons, started to increase in the second half of the year along with world oil prices, while imports in January-June 2009 remained almost unchanged, the paper said.

According to the results of 2009, imports fell 44% to $192.7 billion and exports 36% to $303.3 billion, the paper said.

In the fourth quarter of 2009, however, imports were only 17% lower than a year earlier compared with a 40% decrease in the third quarter, the paper said.

If this trend continues, imports into Russia may grow almost 30% in 2010

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