The favourable foreign trade balance made up USD 393.2 mln.

According to customs statistics (upon adjustment of the export figures related to the pipeline transport and the Republic of Belarus) the foreign trade turnover of the Republic of Tatarstan in the 1st half of 1996 made up USD 1138.9 mln., of which exports made up USD 861.3 mln. and imports USD 277.6 mln. Major commodity turnover (some 49%) fell on European and CIS (32.4%) countries. The turnover with Asian, American and African countries formed 11%, 4% and 3.6%, respectively.

As of the 1st half of 1996, the dominant positions in the structure of aggregate (services included) commodity turnover of the Republic of Tatarstan with foreign countries are held by the companies of Germany (USD 156.9 mln. or 17.2%), Finland (USD 50 mln. or 5.5%), Poland (USD 49.5 mln. or 5.4%), the USA (USD 35.5 mln., or 3.9%), Lithuania (USD 33.3 mln. or 3,6%).

Among the CIS countries the leader is Ukraine (USD 201.7 mln. or 22.2% of the total commodity turnover).The foreign trade activity is not limited to the exports and imports of commodities. The Republic both widely employs the services of its foreign partners and renders its own services. In the 1st half of 1996 the international services amounted to some USD 19 mln. or Rbl 92 bln. Leading positions in the field of international services among foreign countries belong to Turkey (43.9%) Great Britain (13.4%), Cyprus (11.1%), the USA (7.5%), Gemmany (3.9%), India (2.7%), Latvia (2.5%) and UAE (2.3%), while among CIS countries Ukraine (50.8%), Belarus (36.5%), Uzbekistan (5.2%), Kazakhstan (4.3%) and Azerbaijan (2.3%).

The above foreign countries are involved mostly in construction, overhauls, renovation of buildings and facilities (55.9%), consulting on legal, marketing and management issues (15.4%), transportation services (10.8%).

There is a tendency towards increasing the number of trade partners of the Republic of Tatarstan. In 1994, firms from 63 countries worldwide were the trade partners of the enterprises and organisations of the Republic of Tatarstan, while in the 1st half of 1995 this figure increased to 91 and further to 107 by the end of 1995.

The exports from the Republic of Tatarstan totalled USD 1158.4 mln. in 1995. In the 1st half of 1996, the total deliveries were formed by the mineral products with 68.3% (crude oil portion being 65.6%), chemical and related products with 23.1%, machinery, equipment and transportation means with 6.4%. The above commodity groups totalled 97.8% of the Tatarstan exports.

In the period from January to June 1996, some 4,630.1 thous. Mt. of crude oil, 2.3 thous. Mt. of diesel fuel (12%),148.7 thous. Mt. of furnace oil (growth in 2.8 times), 24.6 thous. Mt. of liquefied hydrocarbon gases (76.4%),41.2 thous. Mt. of styrene (127.6%), 32.6 thous. Mt. of ethylene polymers (104.5%), 35.4 thous. Mt. of synthetic rubber (91%), 188.3 thous. tyres (46.1%), 758 trucks (98.6%) and other products were exported from our Republic.

The structure of the major regional export­oriented manufacturers was formed depending on the shares of the products being exported. The enterprises and organisations of Almetyevsk generate 65.9% of the total export products, Nizhnekamsk produces 19.1%, Kazan ­ 9.5%, Naberezhnye Chelny ­ 2.5% and Zelenodolsk ­ 1.4%.

Some 67% of total exports falls on foreign countries, while 33% falls on the CIS countries. In the 1st half of 1996 the major trading partners of our Republic in relation to exports were Germany (USD 105.4 mln.) and Ukraine (USD 113.3 mln.). Finland with export volume of USD 47.9 mln., Poland with 47.7 mln., Lithuania with USD 32.4 mln., Kazakhstan with USD 30.1 mln., Uzbekistan with USD 26.6 mln., Hungary with USD 21.6 mln., Turkey with USD 20.2 mln., Egypt with USD 19.3 mln. rank among the ten largest export partners.

The volume of imports to the Republic of Tatarstan in 1995 exceeded USD 765,1 mln., which is 28,1% higher than that of 1994. In the 1st half of 1996 the cost of import purchases made up USD 277.5 mln. The share of machinery and equipment is still quite large comprising 42.7%, ferrous metals and pipes amount to 10.6%, sugar ­ to 3%, grain crops ­ to 2.5%, medicines ­ to 1.3%, beverages ­ to some 1%. Imports from foreign and CIS countries constitutes 59% and 41%, respectively.

According to the figures of the 1st half of 1996 the cost of import purchases from Ukraine was USD 88.3 mln. or 31.8% of the total imports to the Republic, from Germany ­ over USD 51.5 mln (18.5%), from the USA ­ USD 17.4 mln. (6.2%), from India ­ USD 10.8 mln. (3.9%), from France ­ USD 9.7 mln. (3.5%), from Kazakhstan ­ USD 9.5 mln (3.4%).

List of goods for export
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The customs in the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan started its activity in 1987. The reason was the opening of a new Kazan Airport which was later given international status. In several years, from the "roor system" of Kazan customs, there also appeared customs offices in Bugulma, Yelabuga, Nizhnekamsk, Almetyevsk, customs control point in Noorlat as well as custom houses in Cheboksary, Yoshkar-Ola, lzhevsk and Naberezhniye Chelny. Along with customs inspection and clearance of natural persons' luggage our customs bodies also deal with regulation and development of foreign economic activities within the Republic of Tatarstan.

The "Agreement on Subjects of Authority in Customs Activity" signed between Russia and Tatarstan in June 1993 significantly facititated the work of our customs. There are about 200 legall persons dealing with foreign economic activities who act within the area of Tatarstan customs administration.

The customs bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan take direct part in specific actions aimed at stopping and preventing of illegal exports of strategic raw materials and products out of the Republic. These actions are performed together with KGB and Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic. During the action called "The Trail" in 1993-94 illegal exports of gold (estimated at 40 mln.roubles), ferrous metals and alloys (estimated at 278 mln.roubles), petrochemical products (estimated at over 100 mln. roubles) was averted. All these actions positively affected strengthening of export and currency control.